Inseparable Moments Etched in Time
by Mini Mashin
Summary: Title Changed: A collection of oneshots updated at any time the authoress wishes it to be. Basically Kagome/Some person for each chapter. Latest one: L/Kagome, Part 2!
1. Chapter 1:Itachi and Kagome

BlackCat: Hi people! Since I love oneshots with Kags paired up with others, I decided to write one myself!

Sasuke: Feh, you suck at writing.

Naruto: You're just saying that 'cause you ran off to emo farm with Oro-

Sakura: Shut up Naruto! (bashes him on the head)

Kagome: (sigh) BlackCatElemental13 does not own anything.

BlackCat: If I did, Kabuto-kun would be mine, but he 'ain't. So, yeah. And I do not own the song.

_**CHAPTER 1:**_

**_Title: _**Pieces

**_Parings: _**Kag/ Itachi

_**Summary: **Itachi left someone precious to him in Konoha when he left after killing his clan. Now, 9 years later, he's wondering how the person is doing, and goes to Konoha to visit the precious person. _

**_START:_**

A man in a black coat with red clouds on it jumped from tree to tree, the branches never creaking, as another blue-colored man in the same coat followed, with a giant sword strapped to him.

_Does she still remember me?_

_**I tried to be perfect**_

_**But nothing was worth it**_

_**I do't believe it makes me real**_

_**I thought it'd be easy**_

_**But no one believes me**_

_**I meant all the things that I said**_

Uchiha Itachi shook his head at the thoughts that she didn't remember him, after all, she had a good memory. But he couldn't bear seeing her with another guy-after all they'd been through.

"Itachi-san?" Kisame asked. Taking the silence as an answer, Kisame continued.

" Why are we heading to Konoha. We had already met Sasuke last week,and you're not the type to 'visit' him again after a mere week. What's the reason?" the blue-faced man asked.

Itachi was silent for a while.

"To visit someone precious to me" was the only answer Kisame was going to get.

Knowing not to go any further, Kisame sighed as the rest of the trip was made in silence.

_**If you believe it's in my soul**_

_**I'd say all the words that I know**_

_**Just to see if it would show**_

_**That I'm trying to let you know**_

_**That I'm better off on my own**_

Reaching Konoha, the two Atasuki members snuck in without the guards noticing.

_I just want to see her one more time. Just to see her.._

Montioning for Kisame to go somewhere else,Itachi left for a Shrine near the Hokage tower.

As he came closer,his mind flashed to past memories.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_"Ita-san?"a little girl asked. She had to be no more than 10 years old. Her long,raven hair was put up in a ponytail and her blue eyes seemed so innocent compared to Itachi's onxy orbs that had seen bloodshed and death._

_Well,what did you expect when you were the ANBU captian?_

_"I told you not to call me that."he said in a cold tone. Nobody should know he was close friends with someone not of a powerful clan._

_"But Ita-san! It's bad enough I have to call you Itachi-sama in public!" she complained. Knowing it was going to go nowhere, she sighed and sat down beside him,landing on the grass as they layed on a hill somewhere in the forest._

_"..."was the only reply._

_"Please,Ita-san?"_

_"...Fine."_

_He felt 2 arms encircle his waist as the little girl hugged him."Thank you!"_

_All Itachi could do was smile as he patted her head,bringing his head down to kiss her softly on the lips._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

_And 2 days later, I killed the clan._ he thought as he smoothly landed on a tree branch in the giant tree in the center of the shrine.

A girl with long raven hair up to her waist was sitting under the tree's shade,her blue eyes never leaving the ground in front of her.

Smirking, Itachi suddenly left from his place on the tree,letting the branch creak with his presence leaving.

Immedietly,the girl shot up as she looked around, her bow already strung with lightning speed matching Itachi's.

Turning her head,she felt a cold metal press against her neck as she realized someone was holding a kunai at her throat.

"You're getting slow." a familiar voice said coldly from behind her.

She didn't even have to turn her head to know who it was.

"Ita-san, what are you doing here?"

_**This place is so empty**_

_**My thoughts are so tempting**_

_**I don't know how it got so bad**_

_**Sometimes it's so crazy**_

_**That nothing can save me**_

_**But it's the only thing that I have**_

Itachi looked at the girl in front of her,the girl from her memories.

"Is it that horrible to visit a person from the past?"he asked. The girl merely smirked as she made a motion with her hand toward his stomach.

Seeing it coming, he moved in time,yet never letting the kunai leave her neck.

"Apparentl it is, depending on your attempt to stab me with an arrow."he said,en-circling his arms around the girl's waist as the kunai laid on the ground.

"Why didn't you bother to visit during the past 9 years?"she whispered,not wanting the moment to be ruined.Good thing she had finished her duties at the shrine for the day.

"I was too busy with...other things."he merely said.

"Don't lie. I know you're with the Atasuki."she said.This caught Itachi off-guard as he held onto her tighter.

"And how do you know?"

"Word has been going around that there was a second spy for the Atasuki in Konoha."

Itachi smiled as she turned around to face him."Busted."she muttered.

"You have been the spy getting information for us."

"Yes."

"I wonder how you persuaded the leader to let you in."

"When I learned that you were with the Atasuki,I did everything to have ties with them."."And what do you mean by everything?"

"I had to help in the attack against Konoha."

Itachi's eyes widened a little as his grip on the girl tightened. "You helped destroy Konoha...just to see me because you knew I was in the Atasuki?"he whispered out.

Dropping her head a little, the girl nodded.

Immedietly, he leaned his head forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

_**If you believe it's in my soul**_

_**I'd say all the words that I know**_

_**Just to see if it would show**_

_**That I'm trying to let you know**_

_**That's I'm better off on my own**_

Kisame sighed as he watched Itachi and the girl.

Knowing this was the person he was talking about, he turned around and came face to face with a very pissed off Uchiha.

"Kisame, what the hell are you doing here?!"the black haired boy hissed out.

Acting on instinct,Kisame covered Sasuke's mouth and silently pointed to Itachi and the girl.

Seeing the scene, Sasuke calmed down so they wouldn't make any noise.

_What's she doing with that bastard?!_Sasuke thought.

_**On my own**_

Itachi backed his face away from the girl as she fell limp in his arms.

"You're going back...to the Atasuki?"she muttered.

He nodded,leaning her against the tree as he turned around to leave.But his feet couldn't move.

The girl smiled,one of her delicate hands holding on his black coat.

"Please don't go again...please don't..."

Faintly smiling, he turned around to hug her."Every time you go...more people come to try and win me over...I only have my eyes for 1 man,and he left me 9 years ago,only to come back..."she muttered,falling asleep.

Realizing what she just muttered,Itachi smiled.

_**I tried to be perfect **_

_**It just wasn't worth it**_

_**Nothing could ever be so wrong**_

_**It's hard to believe me**_

_**It never gets easy**_

_**I guess I knew that all along**_

As Sasuke watched Itachi walk off,he felt a presence disappear beside him before he turned his head to see Kisame gone.

Sighing, he left, questions pondering in his mind about Itachi's connection with the girl he knew,the girl he saw as a older sister.

Yawning,the girl woke up as she found Itachi's Atasuki coat on her as she looked around.

The presences she sensed when she had the visit with Itachi had left,along with Itachi himself.

Realizing that she was alone,she found a message carved by a kunai on the tree's bark.

_Don't worry princess_

_Your prince will come back someday_

_To claim you himself_

_He waits for a chance_

_To come soon and take your hand_

_Like Yin Calls for Yang._

_Do not worry my little miko Kagome._

_-Itachi_

"Itachi, you always seemed to like to talk to me in riddles."Kagome muttered as she placed her hand on the message.

"If only you stayed for 1 more day before you left,things would have went well. I wouldn't have had to look for you for 5 years,I wouldn't have had to ask a demon to help me in my search."she muttered,tears falling from her eyes.

Placing a hand where her shoulder met her neck,her tears fell freely on the tree roots.

"If you had just stayed, I wouldn't have been marked like Sasuke."she whispered out,her curse mark throbbing as her sobs became louder as she fell to the ground unconscious.

**_END OF STORY:_**

BlackCat: Well,that's it. 1st chappie finished! If people did not know, the song was Pieces, by Sum 41. They write good songs.

Sasuke: Feh, you still suck

Naruto: Oh shut up Sasuke. We know you're just jelous 'cause Itachi was the first one paired in the fanfic.

Sakura: Shut up Naruto-baka!

Kabuto:(sighs) I really need a better job (goes out the door)

BlackCat: Wait! Kabu-kun!!!!! (runs off to haul him back.)

Kagome: This is a weird world.

BlackCat: (comes in the door with Kabuto tied up behind her) Let's see...who should I do next chapter...

Naruto: If you do Sasuke, he'll act like a dope.

Kurama: Can we all behave for a moment?

BlackCat: You're being paired up with Kags later, go home and annoy someone. (shoves Kurama out to door)

Youko: ...I'd rahter stay out of this one for now...(goes off with Kagome to escape the madness)

(Naruto and Sasuke are arguing in the background, Sakura's trying to stop the arguing, Kiba and Hinata are off somewhere, Inuyasha's eating all the ramen, Sango's bashing Miroku with Hirakoutsu, Shippo and Kirara are playing, Kakashi's reading Icha-Icha paradise, Yusuke's being a perv, Kuwabara's playing with Kirara and Shippo, Hiei's trying to kill Konohamaru for spilling pink paint on him, Tsunade's drunk, Jiraiya's being a perv, Orochimaru's acting gay,and everyone else is watching)

BlackCat: Next chappie...Kags and Waya from Hikaru No Go! Please Review so everything can go back to normal!

-BlackCatElemental13. XP


	2. Chapter 2:Waya and Kagome

BlackCat: Yay! I'm back with another Chapter!

Sasuke: Feh, you still suck-

Hikaru(from Hikaru No Go): Oh,will you just shut up for once?!

Sai: Hikaru! Be nice,even if he is rude!

Naruto: Oh,shut up Sai. Let him be rude!

Sai: Wha-how can you see me?!

Naruto: Duh, I'm a ninja!

Waya: I don't give a sh-

Kagome: Okay, that's enough! No swearing right now, or I'll cancel the chapter!

Sasuke: Feh, why do we care?

BlackCat: Cause if she cancels it, you'll never be able to be paired up with her.

Every boy other than Itachi: ...

BlackCat: Exactly.

Ibiki: (sigh) BlackCat-san does not own anything.

BlackCat:That's right! If I did, Kabuto and Ibiki would be mine and Hinata would have kicked Neji's ass! But that never happened,did it?

_**CHAPTER 1:**_

**_Title:_**

_**Pairing: **Waya/Kagome_

_**Summary: **...I won't even say one. You'll just have to read to find out._

_**Song:** Let U Go,by Ashely Parker Angel._

_**CHAPTER START:**_

Profesional Go player Yoshitaka Waya walked out of the arena, winning yet another tournament.

_Another tournament,another win._

"Waya!"Hikaru yelled from behind him. "I heard you won another game!"

"Yeah? So?" "So? Aren't you glad? You should be celebrating!"

True, Sai had left Hikaru without saying good-bye, but his determination to achieve Sai-and now his-goal of achieving the Divine Move had made him stronger.And he was growing in maturity and wisdom every day.

Sighing,Waya turned around to see Hikaru flat on the pavement.

Still, that didn't mean Hikaru wasn't clumsy.

_**Broken promises**_

_**But you don't really mind**_

_**It's not the first time**_

_**And you know it,don't you know**_

_**Tell me why it is**_

_**You only smile inside**_

_**But when you break me into nothing**_

_**Don't you know**_

Picking himself up,Hikaru ran to meet up with Waya,who was getting into his car(think of Ogata's,only white)

"What's the cause for cheering? You won twice as much as me."he said.

Hikaru sweat-dropped. "Well, you should be happy,Waya! You haven't partied for a long time!"

Waya almost lost control of the car. "I don't need to party."

"Aw,come one!"Hikaru yelled. No answer was heard to him. "What Happened before,when I made it to A league! You were there to support me! Now you rarely talk to me,much less others!" Again,no answer as Waya turned the wheel.

"Are you trying to push yourself away from others?!"

_**-FLASHBACK-**_

_"Why don't you want to learn Go?"Waya asked a girl-probaly the same age as him._

_She had long, pure black hair that went down to her waist,and she was dressed in a pair of Miko robes._

_They were sitting in a room in her shrine,which was handed down generation to generation._

_"...I just don't want to."she said. She watched Waya review a game he played against Hikaru-and lost._

_"There must be a reason."he said. They had been friends for 10 years, and had grown apart when they turned 15. "I just don't want to. Is that a good reason?"she asked._

_Waya merely frowned at her as he placed a white stone on the board._

_"Not good enough.". The girl sighed as she looked at a family portrait. Her, a younger brother,a older woman and a old man were in it._

_"I quit Go ever since they died."she said sadly, watching as Waya placed another stone._

_"Nani? Why?" he asked._

_"...Ji-chan always played Go. I can't bear to play it,every time I see someone playing Go,it reminds me of them."she whispered._

_Waya looked at her."I could always help you,then you might not get solemn every times you see a Go board."he offered, holding a hand out._

_The girl looked at his hand,then to the board."You can't help me with this Waya. I have to face it alone."she said._

_Waya sighed as he cleared the board and helped her up."At least think about it Kags.You've rarely talked to me,much less others!"he yelled._

_Kagome didn't pay any attention to him as she put the stuff away._

_"Are you trying to push yourself away from others?"he asked her. Kagome froze in her tracks._

_"...I'll think about it Waya-kun."_

_**-END FLASHBACK-**_

_**It's not like I haven't tried**_

_**Over and over again**_

_**Stupid fights**_

_**Wrong or right**_

_**Goodbye...**_

_**I remember when you came with me that night**_

_**We said forever,that you would never let me go**_

_**But here I am again**_

_**With nothing left inside**_

_**No I don't wanna but I gotta let you go**_

Waya parked the car in front of a Go Salon as he and Hikaru got out,

"Answer me Waya!We've been friends for 6 years now! I think I deserve an answer!" Hikaru yelled at him.

Waya looked at him, tears forming at his eyes.

Seeing the tears,Hikaru stopped his rambling.

"Oh. It's about _her_ desappearance, isn't it?" Hikaru asked.

They had developed a brother-like relationship,after everything they went through.

"Yeah. They haven't found her yet." Waya muttered. "I'm worried! What happened to her to disappear?!"he yelled at Hikaru.

Hikaru looked at him with sincere eyes.

"Waya." he said. Waya stopped his tears from flowing as his eyes went blurry,but Hikaru was in focus.

" Don't you remember? She's my sis! I worry about her too, but I know she's alright,I just know it. As long as my name is Hikaru Higurashi-Shindo."Hikaru said.

Yes, Hikaru's step father was Kagome's father. Their father had died when Hikaru was born,so he was sent to his Step-mom's place,where he lived with Kagome's little brother.

Waya looked at him dumbfound for a while. "Yeah,I forgot. This is taking more of a toll on you than me."he muttered. Hikaru swung 1 arm onto his shoulder.

"Come on, Kags wouldn't want you to be sober,she'd want you to be happy!" Hikaru said as he walked right into a wall.

Waya merely walked into the Go salon laughing at Hikaru's misfortune. "Yeah,I guess you're right."he said.

_**You're the one mistake**_

_**I really didn't mind**_

_**So beautiful,unmericful**_

_**It took me down**_

_**Too little and too late**_

_**So now I know your kind**_

_**You fake it easy,just to please me**_

_**Don't you know**_

Entering the Go Salon,they say a bunch of people gathering around a table. With everyone blocking the way,the only person Waya and Hikaru could see was Akira.

"What's Toya doing here?"Hikaru muttered. Not bothering to listen to him, Waya started to push people aside,saying 'excuse me' or 'moving though' every once in a few people he shoved.

Getting to the end, he had realized that the game had just finished. Swearing under his breath, Hikaru got through the group of people clapping at the game.

Akira bowed to his opponent as his opponent started to clean the board. The figure was wearing a black cloak with a hood half on. Black hair melded with the cloak.

"Waya? Who won?" Hikaru whispered. Shrugging, Waya picked up their conversation.

"Why did you resign? You would have easily beat me."Akira said."I do not wish to be in the spotlight. Merely in the shadows,where I can see everything,instead of being blinded by my skill and not see anything at all."

Waya was shocked at the words as he grabbed Hikaru's arm and hid him behind a huge plant pot."Wha-" "Be quiet Hikaru!"

"Still, I can't believe you're not a pro." Akira said. "Yeah. Others think that too."the figure said.

"Who taught you?"he asked. The figure pulled off her hood. Blue eyes sparkled with happiness and peace as her black hair fell behind her back.

"The boy behind the plant pot beside you."she said.

_**It's not like we haven't tried**_

_**Over and over agian**_

_**Sleepless nights wrong or right**_

_**Good bye...**_

_**I remember when you came with me that night**_

_**You said forever,that you would never let me go**_

_**But here I am again**_

_**With nothing left inside**_

_**No I don't wanna but I gotta let you go**_

Waya sheepishly got up as Hikaru was pulled up by him.Seeing the new guests,Akira glared at Hikaru,who smiled sheepishly.

"What are you two doing here?"he asked.

"That's what I was going to ask you."Akira said. Hikaru's smile turned even sheepier.

"Um, we were coming to play a game?" he asked. Akira merely glared at him."You were always a horrible liar,Shindo."he said.

Hikaru sweat-dropped."Is everyone against me today?"he asked no one in paticular.

"Yes."

"Well,we know why we're here. To actually play a game."Kagome said,eying the blushing Waya in front of her.

"I thought you said you quit Go."said boy said. Akira looked at Kagome.

Blushing girl looked around. "I had help from a teacher,he helped me face Go once again."she said,eyeing Waya.

Hikaru had no idea what was going on

**Waya's POV:**

She remembered my offer. She remembered. My heart was jumping for joy when she said that.

It made me feel happy how I had helped her face a Go board,since she was so good.

"Hey! Waya! Earth to Waya!"someone yelled.

Getting my mind out of my memories,I saw Hikaru waving his hand on front of my face as I slowly saw his hand reaching for my wallet...

Grabbing his hand,I guess I used too much force as Hikaru winced.

"You're not trying to get my money,are you?" "No."he said. "Good. Remember last time you took my wallet?"I reminded him.

Hikaru's face paled as he backed away.

**Authoress's POV:**

Kagome giggled at the sight of Hikaru backing away from Waya. Serves him right,she had tried to steal his wallet before. And boy, was that an unplesant sight.

Those two reminded her of some people...a certain head-strong Hanyou and a Cold Taiyoukai.

"What's so funny?"Hikaru asked,cocking his head to one side. He half expected Sai to say some remark,until he remembered Sai was gone. His face dropped as he looked at the ground.

"Is something the matter 'Karu?"she asked. Hikaru's eye twitched at the little childhood nick-name.

"Wanna say that to my face,'Kage?"he asked in a death voice.

"No."she meeped.

A cough from Akira got them out of their playing.

"Someone care to explain everything to me?"he asked,not knowing what the hell was going on(Wouldn't you if you saw your rival,your other rival,and your friend fighting and yelling?)

**_I gotta let u go..._**

**_It's you..._**

**_There's nothing I cna do_**

**_I remember when you came with me that night_**

**_You said forever_**

**_You said forever_**

**_You said forever..._**

**_Here I am again_**

**_With nothing left inside_**

**_No I don't wanna but I gotta_**

**_Let U go..._**

Waya looked at Kagome with apoligetic eyes. He had realized just how much she had grown while she had been missing. He had realized that he was out of his league.

He could never catch up with her,she belonged to someone better than him. And that was saying alot,considering that he had loved her ever since he was 9.

"Kags,can I have a word with you?"he asked.

Nodding,Kagome got up from her spot as she followed Waya to a quiet part of the salon,leaving Hikaru with Akira.

"Hehe,What's up"Hikaru asked nevously. Akira merely glared at him,demanding for another rematch.

Sighing,Hikaru took a seat."You never change,do you?" "Just put some freaking stones down Shindo!"

**With Waya and Kagome:**

Waya stopped in a small hallway darker than the rest of the salon,letting go of Kagome's wrist.

"Waya-"

"Kagome, how'd you meet Akira?"Waya interrupted. Looking down,she refused to answer.

"Oh. I get it."he said,his heart sinking even further. "Way-"

"Make sure he takes care of you.And he had better be there at all times."he said. _Unlike me._

"Waya!"she yelled,stopping him from his rant.

"I have no idea on half the stuff you're saying,but I'm not going out with Akira!"she yelled.

Looking at her,he gave her his yeah-right-as-if-I'll-belive-that-piece-of-sh-you-just-said look.

"Hm? How do you know him then?"he asked,still not believing her.

"Arrrg! Waya you baka,I know him because he's an ancestor of Sango!"she yelled at him,poking his chest harder and harder with each outburst.

"Listen mister, I don't know where you get these stinkin' ideas,but I am not going out with anyone!"she yelled, hugging him with a death grip(Hell,Yusuke wouldn't be able to get out of it!And that's saying something,since's he's cheated death!)

"Kagome..."he said,hugging the girl in his arms. He had always seen her act tough and nice at the same time,yet now,she seemed so fragile,like one touch could break her.

"Waya,you know what I said 10 years ago...don't you?"she whispered from beneath her tears staining his T-shirt.

"Yeah." "I promised...that I would never love someone...until the person I loved loved me back..."

"I've been waiting 10 years Waya. I've waited to see if you loved me."she whispered,silently crying in his arms.

**_I remember when_**

**_You came with me that night_**

**_You said forever,that you would never_**

**_Let me go_**

**_But here I am again_**

**_There's nothing left inside_**

**_No I don't wanna,but I gotta_**

**_Let U go..._**

Hikaru and Akira backed up from their hiding space as they went back to their Go board.

"Well,that was dramatic."Hikaru said after a long silence. Akira nodded, remebering Kagome's words.

_So,she's been waiting 10 years for Waya? God,he better keep her safe,or else my ancestor blood might boil._he thought,referring to Sango's protectivness over Kagome.

"Shindo,"he said. Hikaru looked at him.

"How long have Kagome-san and Waya-san been friends?"he asked. After pondering,Hikaru said ever since they were 9.

_She's loved him for 10 years? Man, Waya better care for her._

Waya looked at Kagome as her words pounded in his head.

_She's been waiting for me,of all people._he thought. It was if some huge weight had lifted,and he could say his love for her without any problems.

Softly smiling at her,he pulled her closer as he let her head rest on his shoulder.

"I love you too.I've loved you ever since we met."he whispered,sending a chill down her neck.

Looking up at him,she smiled as she closed the gap between the two.

Smirking,Hikaru sank in his seat.

Scowling,Akira cleared the board.

"Ha! I can beat you without Sai's help!"Hikaru yelled,causing some people to stare at him.

"Yeah,but you said that you weren't taught by anyone.Liar."Akira said back.

_Damn,I had hope he'd forget.._

Pulling back from their kiss,Waya wrapped his arms around Kagome,never wanting to let go.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?"he asked.

"I had no idea if you loved someone else."she said.

_Deja vu._

Smiling,Waya closed his eyes,Kagome's head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Surprising how two minds think alike,ne?"he muttered out loud.

Laughing,she merely spun around and kissed him again.

**_END CHAPTER:_**

BlackCat: Yes, So much time for 1 tiny chapter. I'M SORRY!!

Kagome: Would you care to explain why the delay?

BlackCat: Yes.

1)I signed up for another buttload of programs

2)I lost interest in the couple for 2 weeks

3)I was too busy reading very good fanfics that belong to Shi No Kami 07.

4)Homework.Need I say more?

5)I'm thinking of new parings and stories.I might post them in a week...or two...or three...

6)I'M LAZY AND PROUD OF IT!

Sasuke: That's alot of stupid reasons..-.-0

Naruto: So...many...reasons...

Kakashi: Continues to read IchaIchaParadise and does a eye smile

Jin: When ya planning to update?

BlackCat: If I still stay in the mood,5 days. If I don't,expect more than 2 weeks.

Yusuke: That's a hell of a long time.

BlackCat: I know!TT

But,since there were only 2 reviewers,and 1 is someone I-do-not-wish-to-talk-to-right-now, I think I'll update in 10 days or so.

Hiei: Damn.

Rinku: So please Review people!

(crickets)

Yusuke: IF YOU READ THE FUCKING STORY,FUCKING REVIEW DAMN IT!!!

Sakura: (Blocks Rinku,Souta,and Konohamaru's ears)such bad words!

Kuwabara: Geez,that's alot of swearing.

Kurama:...

BlackCat: Listen to the swearing spirit detective!


	3. Chapter 3:Zenon and Kagome

BlackCat: You know what? I had just realized I forgot to put the parings for this chapter on the last one, and I'm very sorry for that!And that I took a very long time to update!I'm so sorry!I really am!

Kabuto/looks at the last chapter/ Are you sure? Because you didn't seem to mind when you found out last week when you were looking at it over my shoulder...

BlackCat: I think I'm sure...

Youko: What were you two doing alone?

Jiraya: Yeah, what were you two doing?

Youko: I bet they were all alone...in a bedroom...

BlackCat/blushes and rushes off muttering something about 'perverted men who don't know when to keep their thoughts to themselves'/

Kabuto/blushes/ You two are sick. I'm leaving.

Yusuke: To where?

Kabuto: None of your business/runs off/

Youko: He's probably gone off to fu-

BlackCat: Hey! I don't want to change this to M rated! I want to keep it T, thank you very much!

Yoh (from shaman King): Well, what's the paring?

BlackCat: Hm, since the chapter has started...

Sakura: Please tell me you remember...

BlackCat: Oh yeah! I remember! It's a Iy/Beet, Buster Vandel crossover, and the paring is Zenon and Kags!

Train: Beet?

BlackCat: I know, sucky name, good anime/manga. I recommend getting it.

Sven: Well, we could get some books, if **_someone_** didn't use all the money for milk!

Train/Looks around sheepishly and runs off/

Kagome/sigh/ BlackCatElemental-san owes nothing.

Orochimaru: No really, she's broke. I took her wallet. /holds it up/

BlackCat: HOW THE HECK DID YOU GET HERE?! GIVE ME BACK MY WALLET YOU SCARY, GAY, CROSS-DRESSING, TRANSEXUAL FREAKY SNAKE MAN!!!/chases Orochimaru around/(No offense to the Orochimaru lovers. Trust me, they are out there)

Kagome/sweat drop/ Will she even dare try to pair me up with him? He sounds too much like Naraku and Karasu...

Kurama/hugs her/ Don't worry; I won't let him near you.

BlackCat: Hey! No mushy stuff until I type it!

Kurama: You just did.

BlackCat: ...Damn your smart mind...

Hiei: Or maybe it's because you're such a baka.

Sango: Hey! Don't insult her, short pint!

Hiei: Lousy Tajiya!

Sango: Stupid youkai!

Hiei: Dumb women!

Sango: Peverted men!

Hiei: Weak ningen!

Sango: Ego-obsessed, lying, rude fire hybrid!

Hiei: ...

Sango: Ha!

Sakura: Can we just get on with the story?

BlackCat/munches popcorn with Kabuto, Youko, Kurama, Kagome and Naruto/ Why/munch/ The show's good/munch/

Sakura: Never mind. I'll start it.

_**CHAPTER 3:**_

_**Title: **You can make me whole again_

_**Parings:** Zenon/Kagome. You know, Beet's older brother..._

_**Summary:** Saved by the swordsman of the Zenon warriors, becoming the sixth warrior, having your fiancé missing, and getting your memory erased wasn't on Kagome Higurashi's list. Who can help her regain her memory? Who else other than her Fiancé!_

_**Song:** You can make me whole again_

_**START:**_

_**"You're worthless."**_

_A young girl wiped her eye with her arm as she ran through the forest, her miko garb already tattered and ripped. Her sandals were long destroyed, leaving her barefoot as she ran over sharp rocks and scattered twigs._

_**"I wish you were dead."**_

_She ran past a figure in the shadows of the forest, followed by a red blur intent on killing her. Screaming as he neared, the girl picked up her pace, brushing past branches and bushes. Running even faster then she was going before, the blur followed. "Leave me alone!" she yelled, throwing a arrow at the blur. Easily dodging the arrow, the blur cut the girl off." Give back Kikyo's soul bitch!"he yelled, flexing his claws._

_**"You can't even kill! How worthless can you get?"**_

_"Inuyasha!"she yelled, raising hand up. A bright blue light shot up and encircled her, throwing the half-demon across the clearing, breaking spare trees along the way. When she opened her eyes, Kagome Higurashi gasped._

_A beautiful light blue bow was in her hands, with a pure white arrow already in place._

_Looking behind her, she saw a quiver with only 1 arrow in the pouch, which was light blue. Pulling back the arrow, she let it fly as it hit Inuyasha's haori, pinning him to a tree. Looking behind her, she saw that the pouch had two arrows in it now._

_"It responds to your soul, and if you're in danger." a voice said. Looking around her, she didn't notice the figure with the sword behind her until her stood in front of her blocking a hit from Inuyasha._

_Kagome took this time to look at him. He had a cloak on him, with messy black hair, eyes that have seen countless battle, and a cape. But what she noticed the most was his huge sword. It was as huge as Tetsuaiga transformed, with pure white wings on the blade. She was baffled at the fact it was made of pure life force, but questions could wait. She wanted to know who this man was.__Inuyasha growled, charging at the figure with Tetsuaiga. Easily dodging, the figure hit Inuyasha in the ribs, letting the blood flow._

_Jumping, Inuyasha got ready to use his Wind Scar, until the figure jumped up and swung his sword down.__Within seconds, Inuyasha was nothing more than a bloody mass of organs, blood, and flesh. Landing in front of Kagome, he smiled as the sword disappeared._

_"My name is Zenon, swordsman of the Zenon warriors." he said, holding out a hand. "Do you need help with your injuries? Our team has a healer." he offered. Kagome was speechless. Slightly nodding, she followed him back to their village._

_**/TIME SKIP/**_

_**If you see me walking down the street**_

_**Staring at the sky and dragging my two feet,**_

_**You just pass me by,**_

_**It still makes me cry, but you can make me whole again.**_

_"Thank you miss." Poala said as she ran off to go find Beet. It had been a month since Kagome had been found by Zenon, and she had gotten herself into the position of village healer, when Cruss was away._

_"Kagome, how long do you plan on staying?" Laio asked. It hadn't been official that Kagome would join their village, but she had not left either. Cruss had thoughts that it was because of a certain black-hair Vandel Buster..._

_"I've decided. I'll be staying here and helping out in the village, forever." she said. This caused cheering from the nearby children, especially from a raven-haired girl._

_"Yay! Rin is so happy Lady Kagome is going to be staying here!" she cheered. Yes people, Rin stayed here whenever Sesshomaru was in important meetings or other important stuff that involved the other lords of the lands._

_"Are you sure? Is there nobody waiting for you somewhere else?" Bluezam asked. "We do not wish to interfere if there is someone precious waiting for you."_

_Kagome thought as memories came back._

_**"You're worthless! Even Jinenji is better than you!" Inuyasha roared at her as she looked at her friends.**__**She was turning into a full-fledged miko that day, hence the miko garbs. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Inuyasha and Kaede were there.**__**Miroku was looking away, Sango was with-holding tears, and Shippo were letting some fall. Kaede was unconscious somewhere and Kirara was with Sango.**__**"Guys..."she muttered.**__**"Inuyasha-san...Is right. You are worthless Kagome. "Miroku muttered,**__**"We decided that we don't want you in the group." Sango said. Kirara sadly mewed, and Shippo stayed silent.**__**"You heard them! They don't want you, and neither do I!" Inuyasha roared. Looking at her friends, she faced Inuyasha. "How are you going to find jewel shards then?" she asked him.**__**"Feh! We got someone better!" Inuyasha said, showing the figure behind him the whole time. Kagome stared. "Kikyo." she muttered.**__**"See! We got someone who can really sense them! Not randomly point out stuff!" he yelled. "And she can really defend herself!"**__**Looking at the ex-dead miko, Kagome did the only thing she could do then, since nobody would help her.**_

_**Run.**_

_Shaking her head, Kagome smiled at Bluezam. "Nah, it won't interfere with anything." she said, smiling her head off._

_Even though he was the most hot-headed of the group, Laio sensed something was off. Frowning, he called Zenon for a minute. "What do you want Laio? I have to go help out another village close by soon." He asked._"_Something's off with Kag's decision. I can feel it. There is defiantly someone waiting for her, she just isn't waiting for them." He whispered, in case someone was listening. Taking all this in, Zenon nodded. "What should we do?"__Thinking for a while, Zenon smiled._

"_Want to go for a little road trip tomorrow? We'll sneak out." He offered.__Laio smiled, clapping his hands together. "Do I get to piss off Cruss?" Zenon nodded._

"_Count me in!"_

_**If you see me with another guy**_

_**I'm laughing and I'm joking, trying to get by**_

_**I won't put you down 'cause I want you around,**_

_**You can make me whole again.**_

_NEXT DAY:_

_Kagome woke up, rubbing her eyes and running her fingers through her hair. Getting her traditional miko garb on, she walked outside the little hut, thinking to see the usual thing: The Zenon fighters laughing over something, Poala and Beet arguing again, and the villagers doing their own thing._

_Kami must have hated her._

_Bluezam, Alside, Cruss, Poala, Beet, and practically the whole village was in distress. Standing there, a few old men ran past her yelling 'They've been taken by Beltorze!!! The World is going to be destroyed!'.__Blinking, Kagome made her way to the remaining Zenon warriors. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?" she asked. Since Cruss was saying a colorful string of curse words-in honor of a certain fire-lance wielder's death-he couldn't answer him, so it was down to Bluezam and Alside._

"_Well boys?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips._

_And Bluezam, being the telepathic he is, learned of this hours ago, he just didn't bother to tell the others. "Well, I'd love to stay and tell, but there's a village being ransacked by a Vandel nearby." Alside said, slowly trying to get away with Bluezam. Grabbing the collars of their shirts, Kagome smirked evilly, an evil glint in her eyes._

"_Oh no you don't…"_

_10 MINUTES LATER:_

"_Where are they?" Kagome asked once more. Cruss was now finished swearing, and staring in awe at what Kagome could do. '_Note to self, never get her pissed'

"…_.". "Bluezam?" "…….Laio and Zenon went…" Bluezam said from his perch. In a tree. Dangling from a rope. Covered in honey. With geese feathers on him. And raw meat. Not to mention rabid dogs trying to bite him. And little kids thinking he was a piñata. _

"_Bluezam?"_

"…_.Laio and Zenon went off to another village to do some personal stuff."_

"_You weren't supposed to tell her Bluezam!"_

"_Alside, shut up." Alside went quiet, not wishing for anymore torture._

"_Which village did they go to?"_

"………_.The village Zenon found you."_

_Silence…._

"_ZENON! LAIO! YOU TWO ARE SO DEAD WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU LITTLE SNEAKY, STUPID, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING MORONS!"_

_**Looking back at where we first met**_

_**I cannot escape and I cannot forget**_

_**Baby you're the one**_

_**You can do the run**_

_**You can make me whole again**_

_NEAR KAEDE'S VILLAGE:_

_Laio and Zenon sneezed. They had the feeling someone was talking about them, and it wasn't something good._

"_Hey Zenon?" "Hm?" "Do you have the feeling someone wants to kill us?"_

_Silence..._

"_BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! That's crap Laio. Vandels all over the world want to kill us!" Zenon said, his eyes overflowing with tears of laughter. Chuckling himself, Laio turned his attention to the road. "Yeah, you're right."__Coming to a hut near the edge of the village, Laio and Zenon entered.__There was an old lady with a eye patch in miko robes stirring some stew, a young boy with-a tail and fox ears?-, a woman in some kind of armor, a man with black hair in black and purple robes, and a man with very long white hair, wearing a white and red haiori with armor._

_Seeing the new people, the old lady stood up._

"_Welcome, Vandel Busters. To what do we owe the pleasure of meeting ye?" she asked.__The woman in armor and the man in armor merely looked at them, while the man in robes was clenching his staff. The little boy with fox ears jumped up toward Laio before anyone could stop him and started asking a million questions per minute._

"_WhoareyouWhatareyoudoinghereWhatareVandelBustersHowdoesKaede-sanknowyouWhatdoyouguysdoWhatareVandelsWhyisyournameVandelBusterWhatareyournamesDoyouhaveanyrelativesDoyouhaveweapons-"But before the boy could finish, the girl in armor had closed her hand on his mouth._

_Wriggling free, the boy looked at Zenon. _

"_You smell like Kagome-okaasan."he stated.__Everyone except Laio, Zenon and the boy froze when they heard the name. "What business do ye want here, Vandel Busters?" the lady-now known as Kaede-asked._"_What is your connection to Kagome-san?" the man in robes asked, now standing up and pointing his staff at Laio.__Gently pushing the staff away from his nose, Laio looked at the group. "What connection do you have to Kagome-chan? She said she no longer has any connections with this village- or anywhere else." He blurted out._

"_Nice going baka." Zenon said as he whacked Laio on the head._

_Hearing Laio's statement, the girl, man in robes, and boy all sobered and sat down._"_So she thinks of us like that?" The man asked. The man in armor looked at Laio and Zenon._"_You will tell this Sesshomaru your connection with the miko, do you understand ningens?" the man in armor growled. Zenon and Laio nodded, sitting down while Kaede handed out stew, the man in armor receiving tea.__"I don't mean to ask, but who are you people?" Zenon asked._

_"I'm Sango." Said the girl in the armor-looking clothes._

_"I'm Miroku." The man in the black and purple robes replied._

_"I'm Shippo." replied to boy with the ears and tail._

_"Hm, I am Lord Sesshomaru." the man with white hair and armor said._

_"Nice to meet you. I am Zenon and this is Laio." he said, pointing. "Tell us. What is your connection to to miko?" Sesshomaru asked.__"Zenon buddy, you're explaining!". After glaring at Laio, Zenon started. " It began when I was on patrol near our village. I found Kagome running from someone she called 'Inuyasha'." he said.__Shippo smiled. "Well, we found out what happened to him. We found his corpse a month ago." Zenon sweatdropped. "Yeah, sorry for killing him. Well, I met Kagome, and she came with me to the village, and just stayed there. She never told us about you guys." _

_"And you never told us when the wedding was gonna happen." Laio muttered. "I told you to cut it out!" Zenon hissed. "It's true!" Nobody listened to Laio. "Nobody likes me."_

_"Well, we used to be a group-" "You mean a dysfuntional family."Sango said, interrupting Miroku. "Yes, a dysfunctional family- of sorts. There was another miko planning against us..." "You mean the miko that smelt of horrible dead soil and clay." Sesshomaru pointed out. Sighing, Miroku continued. "Yes, the undead miko. Well, somehow, she managed to control us with a spell and that caused Kagome to leave." "And then we killed the undead miko and rid the land of yet another horrible monster." Shippo said. "WILL PEOPLE PLEASE STOP INTERRUPTING ME?!" Miroku yelled._

_Silence..._

_**Time is layin' heavy on my heart**_

_**Seems I've got too much of it since we've been apart,**_

_**My friends make me smile, if only for a while**_

_**You can make me whole again**_

_"Thank you for your help."Zenon said as he got up, followed by Laio._

_Walking out of the hut, Zenon was bombarded by Shippo. "Tell me if Okaa-san is ok, got it? I don't want my okaa-san crying again. And you had better take care of her!"he yelled. Zenon patted his head. "I'll tell you, don't worry."__And as they walked off, Miroku yelled something._

_"Be sure to tell us when the wedding is!"_

_Zenon was sure he heard a bang back there. Prehaps it was his imagination._

_WITH KAGOME:_

_Kagome calmed down when she saw Zenon and Laio return. "Just where the hell have you two been!?" Cruss yelled. Beet and Poala winced; they had never heard Cruss yell like that. _

_"Chill,will ya Cruss? We went to exterminate some stupid Vandels terrorizing a village near here." Laio said nervously.__"...You're a horrible liar." "Cruss, let it be." Kagome said, stopping Cruss from doing any damage to the duo that just arrived. Zenon sighed as Laio leaned against a barrel._

_4 DAYS LATER:_

_"Do you guys have to go?" Kagome asked as she stood infront of a weapon-armed Zenon. Wrapping his arms around her, he smiled. "It's our job Kags, we have to. Besides, this vandel is right infront of our village. We need to keep it safe." he whispered seductivly in her ear as he retreated and gave her one last hug. "Please promise me you'll come back. I don't want to be alone." she whispered. "Don't worry. I'm not going to leave my Fiance alone, am I?" he said with a laugh. "Don't worry, I'll be back."_

_**Looking back on where we first met**_

_**I cannot escape and I cannot forget**_

_**Baby you're the one**_

_**You can do the run**_

_**You can make me whole again**_

That was all 3 years ago.

Walking down the hallway, he followed her into a room in all white. He sat on a chair in the balcony as she leaned on the ridge, staring out into the setting sun (Yes, it sounds corny.) Staring at her back, all was silent."Kagome-"

"Who is Kagome? My name is Tenshi, as said by my master Garonewt." she whispered.

He frowned. "Ka-Tenshi, do you want me to heal the poison in your arm?"he asked. Continuing to stare at the sun, she shook her head.

"If he finds out I took the poison out, I'll be in a worse punishment." "Why? Why are you here in the first place, only to feel pain and slavery?" he asked. She looked at him. "I am here because I have no one left near me, nobody to protect. So there is no difference if I were to be killed by a random Vandel, or killed by Garonewt's poison." she whispered.He let the silence wash over them for a while. "Why did you not capture Beet and Poala too?" he asked.She looked at him."I don't know. It was like I knew them from a long time ago, like they were siblings, maybe even close comrades. I don't know why, I just couldn't harm them."

Zenon looked at her shocked. _She doesn't remember. She doesn't remember our travels, our friends._

_She doesn't remember me._

Sighing, Kagome got up. "I'll be going now. You can call me if you need to."she announced, shutting the door behind her. Zenon immedietly collasped on the bed. He stared at the ceiling.

_Garonewt and Kagome found me when I was protecting Beet and Poala, and he ordered her to capture me and kill Beet. Kagome doesn't kill Beet, and now she's suffering for that. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here, and Beet and Poala were injured to near-death. Oh yeah, Life sucks._Sighing, Zenon looked at the pendant in his hand. Opening it with a finger, a small picture fell out without him seeing it. "I wish things were how they were 3 years ago, when we were together. I wish it was the day before we went to battle Beltorze."he whispered to the wind.

_The picture was taken after Beet had found a spare camera around._

_Everyone was standing together. Cruss and Laio standing beside Kagome, with Zenon hugging her from behind. Bluezam and Alside were standing beside Zenon, both of them giving noogies to Laio and a pissed off Cruss. Beet and Poala were in front of Kagome, kneeling with a spare spear. Everyone had their weapons drawn, even Kagome._

_That was the day Zenon proposed to her, and she became the sixth member; Kagome, the Sacred archer._

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Beet paced around the fire the 30th time in a row,muttering stuff under his breath. "Beet! Stop pacing! It's giving me a headache!"Poala yelled as Kisshu covered his ears. "Really Beet, what's got you uptight? Me and Kisshu go to check out some monsters destroying a village, and when we come back, you and Poala are near-death, and you go pacing your butt off as soon as you're healed!" Milfa asked him.

Beet looked at her. "Oh yeah, you don't know." "Don't know what?" Kisshu asked.Poala sighed. "I'll explain." she said, telling everyone to sit down.

"We were in a fight with Garonewt when you guys were gone-" "You were in a fight with Garonewt?!" Milfa yelled. Beet sheepishly smiled. "Hehe, forgot to say that." Nudging his side, Poala continued. "Well, we were attacked by Garonewt and another person. Both of them took Zenon-" "ZENON WAS WITH YOU?!" Milfa yelled. "Geez Milfa, lower your voice!" Kisshu winced, covering his ears.

"Well, anyway, they took Zenon. But the thing is...Garonewt called the person Kagome.."she muttered. "Wait, he called her Kagome?!"Kisshu yelled. "Yeah."Milfa looked at the group. "Someone care to tell me who this 'Kagome' is?". "Oh yeah, you haven't met Kags."Beet muttered.

"Well, me and Poala knew Kagome because she was a fighter-Not a Vandel Buster, yet not a non-fighter. She soon turned into the sixth warrior of the Zenon warriors, but she disappeared along with the rest of the warriors. Last I heard, she was Level 30." he explained. "How do you know her Kisshu?" Poala asked.

"Umm...I met her when I was travelling." "AND YOU DIDN'T GET ME A AUTOGRAPH?!"Milfa yelled. "Sometimes I pray for our sanity." Kisshu muttered to Beet and Poala. Just as Milfa was about to yell again, they heard a blast from the East. "That's where the fight was!" Beet yelled, grabbing his stuff and running, followed by the rest. "BEET! SLOW DOWN!"

------------------------------------------------

Zenon looked around his surroundings. He had been ordered to go with Kagome and lure Beet's group to the place they battled earlier. Just then, Kagome has fired a sacred arrow into the sky, causing a huge eruption and making a bunch of noise.

Within minutes, Beet, Poala, Milfa and Kisshu were there, pointing their weapons at Kagome. Her eyes blank, she merely fired a arrow at them.

_**So now, I'll have to wait**_

_**But, baby, if you change your mind, don't be too late**_

_**'Cause I just can't go on**_

_**It's already been too long**_

_**But you can make me whole again**_

Dodging Beet's lance, she attacked Milfa with her bow as she jumped back to infront of Zenon-who was unable to move due to some poison injected into him.

Immedietly, Poala rushed up to him and gave him a vial to heal the poison. Able to move, Zenon summoned his Saiga as he charged forward toward his ex-fiancé. Poala looked at his disappearing figure with teary eyes._ It must be horrible for him, to face her of all people. To have to fight your beloved. I never want something like that to happen to anyone I know._ she solemly thought.

Beet stopped his charge as Zenon rushed past him, leaping up into the air and slamming his sword down. _Brother?!_

Kisshu and Milfa stopped their charged divine attacks in time, as they were going to hit Zenon. "Zenon..."

Poala slumped to the ground as she watched the fight._Kagome._

Zenon was silently crying as his sword came into contact with Kagome's Bow. Metal clashed with Wood as the whole clearing was engulfed in a huge white light.

-------------------------------------

Kagome gritted her teeth. The two were still holding their ground in the blast, and she was slowly loosing. Suddenly smacking their weapons out of their hands, Zenon quickly rushed forward and embraced her.

"Kagome!Please! Try to remember! Remember The warriors! Remember the villagers! Remember me!"he yelled, desperatly trying to hold back tears. His vision blurred as he buried his face into her hair. How he wished things to be back to normal.

Kagome's eyes flickered for a moment, turning from gray to a sapphire blue. "Zenos.." And as soon as the flicker was there, it disappeared. Seeing that flicker gave him a new light of hope.Hope that she would be able to remember.Hope that they would get out of this alive.Hope that ebverything would go back to normal.Hope that they could be together.

"Kagome,please! You have to remember! Please, for the sake of the others and me!"he whispered into her ear as he tightened his grip on her,afraid she would disappear. "Kagome, please."

The flicker came back, only this time, it stayed for good.

"Zenon...what happened?Where's the others?What happened to Beltorze?"she asked. The light turned into the battle that happened earlier; how she fought Beet and Poala, how Garonewt had ordered her, how she had kidnapped Zenon when he was powerless.Her eyes widened,briming with tears."Did I do all that?"

He didn't have time to answer, because the light had engulfed them both.

_**Looking back on where we first met**_

_**I cannot escape and I cannot forget**_

_**Baby you're the one**_

_**You can do the run**_

_**You can make me whole again**_

--------------------------------------------------------

_Where am I? What's going on?_

_**Live**_

_What?_

_**Give life.**_

_I don't get what you're saying!_

_**Come back to life.**_

_What the hell are you saying?!_

_**Save the one you love.**_

_Who?Who am I supposed to save?_

_**Live, so you can save her and be happy.**_

_...Kagome._

_**She is beside you,yet far away.Go to her Zenon.**_

_How do you know?Who are you?Tell me!_

_**How I know is of no importance.But I shall tell you my name.**_

_**My name is Laio.**_

_Laio! Laio!_

All was silent.

_Laio!!!!!!!!_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Shhh!Quiet!He's coming too!"

Zenon groaned as he slowly opened his eyes to a bright light.Quickly shutting them again, he slowly opened them after 4 minutes. Beet and Kisshu were huddled around him, as Poala and Milfa huddled around another figure in the room beside them. Starting to talk, Beet put a finger in front of his lips as he silently pointed to the next room, where they could hear Milfa and Poala talking."Is she alright Milfa?"Poala asked, patting the damp cloth on Kagome's forehead. "I won't be able to know if you keep asking me every 10 seconds."Milfa snapped, checking her pulse. "This isn't good. Her pulse is barely there. The blood loss was a bit too much, I guess."she whispered.

Zenon glared at Beet and Kisshu. "What the hell happened?"he growled. Smiling Sheepishly, Beet lowered his voice into a whisper, suddenly going serious."Well, when we found you two-which took a long time,mind you-it wa salready dusk, and we found you two in a tree. You were stuck where the branches met, and Kagome...she was impaled on a sharp branch,which was actually a spear. Laio's spear." he said.

Zenon's breath hitched in his throat, like he was the one impaled with the spear,not Kagome.

"We got you guys to the nearest shelter as fast as we can, here. You guys were practiclly close to death."Kisshu continued. Beet looked at the other room hidden by a flimsy wall,unable to look at Zenon directly in the eye.

"Beet-"

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Beet."

"Kagome wasn't supposed to lose her memories."

"Beet!"

"The Group wasn't supposed to seperate.You and Kagome weren't supposed to be ripped apart."

"**Beet.**"

"You and Kagome were supposed to be together! Not on the verge of Death!"

"**Beet!**"

Beet fell silent as he looked at Zenon, who was glaring at him from his bed.

"If everything you said had happened, would you be able to meet Kisshu or Milfa?Would you experience alll the fun memories you've encountered?Would you level up faster?Would you wish to never experience these things?What has happened has happened. We cannot change the past, it is not ment to be tampered with. We may wish to change it, but we cannot. All we can do is live with it. I have no regrets about this,because I finally know that she loves me more than anything else, or she would have killed us on sight."Zenon explained. At the end, Beet's eyes were brimming with tears and Kisshu was covering his eyes with his sleeve.

-------------------------

Milfa and Poala listened through the wall, crying soft,silent tears the whole way. Their forgotten patient was lying on her bed, looking as if she was asleep. Tears were slowly falling down her cheeks as she looked out the window, the reflection of the sunset in her tears. "It's true. You can't change the past, no matter how much you want to. You just have to live with it."she slowly whispered, staring as the sun settled past the horizon. And as she closed her eyes, she whispered one last thing, one thing nobody but Zenon could hear.

"I love you Zenon,don't forget that."

And with that, she closed her eyes for the last time, remembering the face of the man who made her whole again.

_**Baby you're the one**_

_**You can do the run**_

_**You can make me whole again**_

------------------------

BlackCat: It's a little sad at the end, but I was depressed,over _other_ matters.

Sakura: That's probaly the longest chapter I've seen from you.

BlackCat:Yes, I know. I'm ticked off that I wasn't able to update faster, since I got grounded-again. Stupid report cards.

Kabuto: Good thing is, you updated.

BlackCat: Yes. Now, let me work on the Fourth chapter of this and the Second chapter of my second fic.

Naruto: I better be up soon!

BlackCat: Sorry kiddo, already got a request.

Naruto/goes out and pouts/

Hinata: I'll go see if he's alright. /quickly rushes off blushing/

BlackCat: Hook up?

Everyone: Oh yeah.

BlackCat: Please review! Flames are welcome, just as long as they aren't really bad! Ja ne!


	4. Chapter 4: Hidan and Kagome

BlackCat: Well, since I kicked everyone out of my place for a while, there's nobody to do the introduction for this chapter.So I'll do them myself./sigh/

**DISCLAIMER**: I owe nothing. Zip,zero,nothing. Except for the quarter in my pocket.

_**Warning:**_ There is a buttload of swearing-thanks to Hidan. Not to mention SOME violence. Read at your own risk.

_**Chapter 4:**_

_**Title:**__ Kissy Kissy_

_**Pairing:**__ Hidan/Kags a request from Kagome-is-kool._

_**Summary:**__ He's in the Akatsuki, and never pays attention to girls. She's friends with the Kyuubi vessel, and hates his guts. So can Somebody tell me how they fell in love?!_

_**Song:** Kissy Kissy, by Smile DK_

_**Chapter start:**_

****

_**I'm a girl, you're a boy**_

_**We're too old to play with toys**_

_**Won't you tell me what's your name? **_

_**You could be my brand new game**_

Here she was, lying in the arms of a missing-nin, having betrayed her past village and ran to the Akatsuki.

However, only 17 in the whole village knew why she left, and only 3 of those let her.

She owed her life to Naruto, Sakura, and Tsunade, for if it wasn't for them, she wouldn't be lying with the man she loved, and probably being interrogated by Ibiki. Not to mention stuck in a cell.In chains.And having her mind being penetrated.

Man._Note to self:_ she thought._ Properly thank them when I see them._

Then again, it's not like she would be able to-unless Hidan said she could call a time-out during a battle with them, so they could go somewhere and drink tea.

_The day that happens, is the day that Kisame stops being a shark man._

Snuggling into his arms, Kagome closed her eyes once more and tried to get some sleep-they were going to try and get the Kyuubi-vessel,also know as Naruto, tomorrow.

"Fuck Kagome, how long are you going to keep squirming?! You're not exactly letting me get some fuckin' sleep,you know."

Kagome sighed. _Yup. Asking Hidan to stop swearing is like asking Kakuzu to stop stealing, or die._

_**You begin and roll the dice**_

_**I would smile and break the ice**_

_**Tell me how could I resist**_

_**When you're my favorite kiss?**_

Kakuzu sighed for what seemed the uptenth time. Would somebody please remind him how he and Hidan got stuck with a girl?

_Oh yeah, Hidan the bastard asked for it._ he reminded himself.

No, it wasn't because Kagome was a girl, or that she was distracting Hidan a bit. That's not why he disliked her.

She kept trying to stop him from stealing.

Now, nobody should try and stop him, for they should know he could not be stopped.

_Yeah. Tell that to Kissy over there with Swearer._

His conscious has made new names to all the teamates, which everyone started using...Damn those name-stealers.

Itachi was Emo. Kisame was Sharky. Sasori was Pinocchio(According to Kagome). Deidara was Clay-man. Zetsu was Fly-trap(Named after the venus fly-trap). Tobi was Idiot(So far the name everyone loved).Blue was...blue. Kagome was Kissy(Thanks to Hidan). Hidan was swearer.

Kakuzu? He was...Obsesser.

Kakuzu's eye twitched. Oh yeah. He hated her.

_**Kissy kissy makes me happy**_

_**Honey,honey, sweet as candy**_

_**Kissy kissy take my hand, and come along with me**_

_**Kissy kissy makes me happy**_

_**Honey,honey, sweet as candy**_

_**Kissy kissy love is grand with you, my sugar bee.**_

Itachi looked at the snugling couple near a pissed-off Kakuzu. No matter how much he thinks, he will never know how the heck Hidan and Kagome hooked up.

He was on even times with the girl, along with everyone else except Hidan and Kakuzu. Sure, the girl called him 'Emo' and would keep trying to ask him about the massacere, but she was above-average in battle, and didn't bother the members much.

Now, let's put the possibilities of Hidan and Kagome getting hooked: 1 to...somewhere in the infinities.

And yet, they hooked up.

Itachi sighed. He hated being wrong. It embarasses him. Not to mention makes him lose a buttload of money.

Ohh yeah. The money part pissed him off. Especially since he was betting with Tobi-of all people. He should have listened to his gut and **not** bid over a million yen. Leader-sama is gonna be pissed when he finds out.

But hey, he felt content watching the two for now. He'll deal with the Leader-and Tobi-later.

_**Kissy kissy makes me happy**_

_**Honey,honey sweet as candy**_

_**Kissy kissy take my hand and come along with me**_

_**Kissy kissy makes me happy**_

_**Honey,honey sweet as candy**_

_**Kissy kissy love is grand with you,my sugar bee**_

Hidan looked around the place, sensing that Itachi and Kisame were spying on them for the 10th time that month.

What was it with people freakin' spying on him?! First, Leader-Sama starts spying on him when he first joins, then it's fucking annoying Tobi the idiot, and now it's these guys!

Wrapping his arms more tightly around Kagome-who was asleep,damn it-he glared at the shadows.

"Look, I know you're there, now stop fucking spying and do your own mutherfucking shit!" he yelled, waking up Kakuzu and making Itachi and Kisame bolt like hell was on their heels-which would probably be true if Kakuzu wasn't busy yelling at Hidan for waking him up.

And yet, through all this, Kagome was still asleep.

-------------------

After the fight with Kakuzu-which ended up in Kakuzu losing a heart-Hidan sat down with Kagome.

How on earth he managed to fall in love with practiclly someone totally different from him, he would never know.

All he knows is that it concerened a drunk Kage, Kissy, the Kyuubi vessal, and him and Obsesser.

_FLASHBACK:_

_Hidan lied on the grass littered in blood, the Kyuubi vessel-known as Naruto-, Tsunade, and some other girl looking at him and Kakuzu-who had managed to lose a heart. Both of their Akatsuki cloaks were shredded, no thanks to Naruto who transformed into a human-sized Kyuubi, and were now on the ground with an arrow pinning them._

_The girl sighed and put down their bow. "Tsunade-san, can't we just let them go?"_

_"What?!Are you serious?! There is no fucking way I'm going to be saved by a mutherfucking girl!"_

_Tsunade and the girl glared at him. "On second thought, let's leave them."_

_"What?You're just going to leave us alone?"Kakuzu asked._

_Tsunade shrugged. "Why not? It's not like you can attack us right now. Besides, if you do, we'll be right here to come back and kick your sorry ass!"_

_"...Tsunade-baa-chan, you've been drinking again."_

_"Can it Fox boy."_

_Getting pissed off at not being noticed, Hidan decided to ruin the moment."Hello?! We're the fucking enemies!! Aren't you supposed to,oh I don't know,KILL US?!"_

_"...Do you have a death wish? I bet Kagome over here could kick your sorry ass in 3 minutes!"Naruto yelled at him._

_"Deal!..Now get me off of the ground, and I'll face her next week!"_

_"...You just want time to heal and train."Tsunade said._

_"Can it,baa-chan."_

_END FLASHBACK:_

Hidan sighed. Yup, their first meeting was a twisted, fucked-up, shitty meeting.

But hey, at least he beat her!

_FLASHBACK:_

_Hidan stood over the raven-haired girl, her bow broken 10 feet away._

_Grumbling, Tsunade handed 10 000 yen over to Kakuzu._

_"Pleasure doing buisness with you. Hidan, let's go." he yelled._

_Hidan wasn't listening-again. He was too busy staring at the girl under him, still trying to attack him after being pinned._

_"Hey, Akatsuki dude, mil. yen that Kags hooks up with your partner."Naruto whispered to Kakuza._

_Money signs popped up in Kakuzu's eyes. "Add free ramen and you got a deal."_

_"Get ready to lose your money!"_

_END FLASHBACK:_

And still, Kakuzu refuses to pay back Naruto the million yen. But hey, at least he paid back the ramen!

Sighing, Hidan merely closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

All he knew was that it was love at first sight, well, more like love at first battle. Which turned into Kagome sneaking out of Konoha to visit the Akatsuki. Which turned into Kagome leaving Konoha and becoming a missing-nin. Which turned into Hidan officially hooking up with her.

Somebody PLEASE tell him why he loved her?!

_**Dah, nah, nah-Tell me what your secret is**_

_**Dah, nah, nah- Oh, won't you let me know?**_

_**Dah, nah, nah-Nothing makes me feel like this**_

_**Dah, nah, nah-'Cause you're my favorite kiss**_

------------------------------

BlackCat: Well, here's Chapter 4! It's on behalf on a request that was in Chapter 1, but I only got to write it right now. And If you're wondering, this is the only time I got to type, so don't expect another update for a while! That goes for new stories!!

I'm sorry Hikage Dragon, I'll try and do your requests next 2 chapters!

Ja ne!

-BlackCat, also known as Windy

P.S: If anyone is on Gaia online, my account name is WindRebel13. Stop by and comment, or just give a random PM!


	5. Chapter 5: Orochimaru and Kagome

Mashin: Hello! This is the next chapter for our bunch of one-shots! Now, I've been having difficulties with this new computer, which is why I haven't been able to update ever since the beginning of November. It keep erasing bits and bits of the story, and I had to keep writing them until I just wrote this on WordPad instead of Microsoft. So, enjoy this one-shot of Kagome and Orochimaru! And I deeply say my regrets if this does not fit your level of expectation…. god I sound like my teacher.

DISCLAIMER: Me own if me had a cookie. Me no have cookie… Me no own. Looks to audience Cookie?

_**Story:**__** Sands of Time: Memories long forgotten**_

_**Pairing: **__**Kagome/ Orochimaru**_

_**Summary:**__** Trying to remember the moments of happiness in his life, Orochimaru ponders on how he turned mad with power…. Maybe it was more than being Hokage.**_

_**Song:**__** Believe it or not, none.**_

_**HERE'S YOUR CHAPTER:**_

Bandaged fists clenched on the armrest of the wooden seat, with piercing eyes narrowed at a wall, like the wall was the cause of all his problems, and why he couldn't use his arms.

Orochimaru, ex-member of the Sannin trio, wondered how his life turned out so twisted and deformed, when all he wanted was the girl of his dreams. Hey, even a guy like him was allowed to fall in love!

Right?

He quickly and shortly shook his head. No, nobody wanted to believe it. That she was **his**. No one else's. His.

Again, he shook his head. He was being possessive now, something **she** had never liked. Orochimaru's eyes closed as he let his memories and fatigue wash over him, his body relaxing into the familiar form of someone sleeping…

"_Orochimaru-kun?"_

_Snake-like eyes opened at the sound of his name, hiding a yawn behind his hand as he wearily came back from Dreamland._

"_Orochimaru-kun?"_

_He turned to his right to identify who was calling him, though that wasn't necessary. He already knew who it was. Raven hair was the first thing he saw, followed by brown eyes and a slight frown._

"_Orochimaru-kun, Tsunade-onee-chan said that there's training tonight."_

_Slightly acknowledging the fact that his head did a slight nod, Orochimaru was too busy looking into the girl's eyes, the eyes that seemed to see much more than she should have._

_Rubbing his left eye with his hand, the girl smiled and sat next to him._

"_Orochimaru-kun?"_

"_Hai, Kagome-chan?" _

"_They want to see me again tomorrow, for another interrogation."_

_Orochimaru stared at Kagome's head, since she was smaller than him, despite her being only 2 months younger. She wasn't tall for her age._

_Of course, he understood why she was scared. Randomly appearing near-death in front of Konoha's gates with no memory of what happened seems kind of suspicious. Especially she was holding a hiate with Suna's mark on it. That, and she had no ability to become a ninja, so why was she holding the hiate in the first place?_

_And the interrogators weren't the nicest of people. The title should have given it away._

_Rubbing her hair, he smiled. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. Me and Tsunade-san will be there. As well as Jiraiya-san and Sarutobi-sensei."_

_You could practically feel the happiness pour into her aura then, as she looked above and smiled like one of those little stray kittens on the street when you take them in._

_Erm, off topic._

_Hugging Orochimaru's waist, the girl dug her face into the folds of his kimono and giggled. "You smell funny."_

"_Oh, and how do I smell funny?"_

"_There's the smell of pine trees on you, and the smell of fresh grass, oh! And Ramen!"_

_Hiding a laugh, Orochimaru ruffled her hair again. "I don't know about the first two, but the third was my lunch."_

"_Oh! So that's what it is!"_

_He sighed at her innocence. She was 12, for Kami's sake! How did someone who lived in a shinobi village be as innocent as her? Maybe it was something of her's._

"_Kagome-chan?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_How do you smell all these scents anyway? You are smelling things normal humans can't smell."_

_There was a brief silence after that. After thinking for a while, Kagome shrugged._

"_Dunno, it's just something I have… Is that why they want to interrogate me?"_

_There we go with the sadness again. The once happy mood turned dark and sour. Something Orochimaru didn't like in the presence of Kagome._

"_The interrogators know nothing. They merely want something to do. Anything they tell you is bull."_

_Taking that as a sufficient answer, Kagome smiled, turning happy once more. Seriously, how did females have such a fast mood swing?_

"_I think you're right, because they kept saying stuff about you and Jiraiya-san."_

"_Oh? And what did they say?" If it was anything bad, he was going to make sure that they died a slow and painful death the next time they met._

"_They called you a quiet weirdo who molest people in their sleep, and they called Jiraiya-san a perverted boy."_

_Orochimaru's eye twitched. Now he was going to make sure that they died a slow, brutal, and __**neutered**__ death. Because being neutered sucked. And hurt._

"_Well, I'm going to __**talk**__ to them in a __**peaceful**__ manner." And by talk and peaceful, he meant beating the crap out of them. Because he was so much more powerful than them._

_Kagome giggled. "See, this is why I like you more than Jiraiya-san."_

_That got him out of his train of thought. "Oh, and how?"_

"_You seem so emotionless, but you're so emotional. But why only near me?"_

_That got him thinking again. Why just Kagome? Why her? Of course, he had already thought of an answer, but it didn't hurt to think more than once._

"_Because you're very special to me." He replied, hoping that was sufficient. Turns out it was._

_Kagome hugged him and snuggled deeper. _

Slightly waking up, Orochimaru noticed Kabuto in front of him, staring at him for Kami knows what.

"What?" he spat out. He wasn't in such a good mood right now. Considering the memories of a certain raven-haired girl.

"Your medicine, Orochimaru-sama."

Slightly remembering, he nodded as he allowed the vile liquid to go down his throat. It burned like hell! Seriously, how do these things heal people when they taste so horrible?! Medicine made no sense. It's more like killing the victim of their horrible concoction.

"I know it tastes bad Milord, but they always say-"

"Do not patronize me right now Kabuto. I'm warning you."

Sensing the threat behind that, Kabuto left, leaving Orochimaru in peace for another eight hours. He sighed in relief. No more annoying minions.

Closing his eyes again, he tried for a deeper sleep…. Hell, maybe one he would never wake up from.

"_Oro-kun? Oro-kun?"_

_His snake-like eyes wearily opened up, the eyelids caked with blood and mud as his head lied in the wet mud, no thanks to the rain pouring down on him and Kagome._

"_Kagome-chan? Where are you?" He was practically blind with all the mud and dirt._

"_Look to your left."_

_Turning around, he looked for her brown eyes-because he was pretty sure the hair was caked with mud- and immediately regretted it._

_She was lying in her own puddle of blood, gaining a centimeter per second, and the mud and rain weren't really helping with her situation. She was barely visible from all the dark and brown all over them, and her hair was a mess. Her eyes barely opened, and she had her mouth slightly open, with blood trickling out. Needless to say, he was going to kill whoever attacked her. A gurgle of blood spilt from her mouth as the eyes turned foggier and the life was being sapped out of her rapidly._

"_Kagome?! Can you talk?!" _

_She merely smiled a weak smile, and placed her right hand on his cheek, rubbing it with her thumb as the light in her eyes dimmed even more, now nothing more that a slight flicker._

_He grabbed her hand and immediately felt the pain from his broken arm; the shots of pain flowing through his body as he visibly winced. Placing her hand down on the ground gently, he managed to get some words through his dry mouth. "Please, save your strength."_

_If she could glare at him right now, she would, but the pain finally enveloped her as her mouth opened in a silent scream, the wound on her left hip erupting with pain as the rain continued to pour, unknowing of them._

_She settled for staring into his eyes for now, just watching the foggy orbs of gold stare back at her. Oh how she loved staring back at those eyes of his, loved how they held only emotions of love for her._

_But it seems fate didn't want that. Immediately after they had announced their love for each other-no matter how weird that sounds- they were immediately bombarded by questions, interrogations, and problems. Most being her –slight- friend, Inuyasha. Who still considered her a replacement for his ex, Kikyo. Oh, how wrong he was. She stopped seeing him as a crush a long time ago, and merely stuck to friend. Perhaps he should 'tell' him. _

_Next, everyone seemed to look down on their relationship, except for his team and a few of Kagome's friends. But still, it hurt being looked down for merely loving someone. I mean, you can't really chose who you fall in love with._

_The interrogations turned more frequent, more missions were being handed to his group, and everyone just wanted to separate them, once and for all. At least they still loved each other from the bottom of their hearts. _

_But it seems Destiny wanted them apart, for the last light in her eyes was being covered._

"_Oro-kun?"_

"_Hai?"_

"_Please don't forget me."_

_Orochimaru realized what she was doing, staring at the Shikon in her hand, to her determined eyes, to the wounds on her._

"_Kagome, you're not going to die. Just rest, and we'll be at Konoha before you know it."_

_She shook her head. That was it; she was determined. No turning back now. _

"_No."_

_And just at that moment, the rest of his team decides to pop in, with Tsunade going hysteric on the condition her sister is in. Joy._

"_Kagome-chan! What on earth happened here?!" she yelled as she leaned in between them, desperately trying to heal Kagome first and faster, since she was more injured. "Tell me who did this and I'll go rip their hearts out!"_

_More blood trickled from the edges of her lips as Kagome shook her head. "No, it has already been paid."_

"_What?"_

"_Inuyasha… is already… dead."_

_There was silence as Tsunade turned to Orochimaru, glancing at the broken arm, to the slashes on his back, then back to the broken arm. Sighing, she got down and started healing._

"_You two, always getting into trouble. Jiraiya-san, do me a favor and get Orochimaru-san for me. I'll get Kagome-chan."_

_As she reached for Kagome, the sudden rush of air going past her face stunned her, and right beside Kagome was a bloody kunai, pure silver and writing on it._

_Picking up the kunai, Tsunade noticed the initials. "K.H…."_

_Quickly grabbing Kagome, she rushed to catch up with Jiraiya and Orochimaru, not noticing the shadowed figure that picked up the kunai and twirled it._

"_Soon Kagome-chan. Soon."_

Gasping for breath as he opened his eyes, Orochimaru scanned the room, to see if anybody was there. Nobody. Good.

Placing a hand on his beating ribcage, he focused his vision to a random candle across the room as he looked into past memories meant to be locked up.

_He eyes remained open with shock as the ice over-came the last of her body, frozen in a block of ice for all eternity._

Beads of sweat fell as he fought to urge not to lose control of his emotions.

He could only watch in horror as his love-his koi- was shattered to pieces in front of him, not being able to help due to damn broken limbs and injuries.

"No…Stop it."

The pieces of ice were instantly melted as the man withdrew his katana of fire, leaving the hospital bed as if nothing happened, and he was never there.

_The only thing that showed Kagome had ever been there was blood on the bed sheets and a silver kunai with the initials K.H._

_He had known it was done when he noticed the kunai, with Kagome's blood on it. For a marked kunai could only hit those whose name was engraved on it. And Kagome Higurashi was what it stood for._

"STOP IT!"

He could remember the last words on her lips before she was frozen solid. They way she had called out to him and declared her love, just before she died. It made him feel pitiful. Like something inside of him had just blown up, and now he was feeling the problems. And that said thing that had just blown up was his heart. Which felt like bleeding right now. Ow.

Drop by drop, Orochimaru's eyes filled with watery tears as they dropped to the floor under him.

He tried to close his eyes to forget how it felt, forget all the looks. He could remember it.

Being at Kagome's funeral, how everyone had glared at him like it was his fault.

Trying to gain power, to never let anyone like Kagome be killed.

Turning mad from power. Losing his mind to the shadows ((AN: Yugioh much.))

Running from Konoha, from all the memories.

Running. That was probably the only thing he's been doing ever since she died.

Sensing the medicine fading, Orochimaru closed his eyes.

Just wait, Kagome-chan. Just wait for me in Heaven.

A young girl who looked to be the age of 13 peered down at her love, well her love if she was living. For now, she was contempt with watching him from above, as she would only appear to him if she chose to. As she fluttered down to him, her hair brushed past to reveal a bloody red wound near her heart, the same place that damned kunai had hit her.

"Soon, my love. Soon, you shall join me in heaven. And then we can truly be together."

Mashin: DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY FRIGGIN' TIMES I WHAMMED MY HEAD ON A DESK?! FOR THIS?! Sighs I think I did a pretty bad job on this. But hey, 8 pages! My new record for the amount of pages I can type without banging my head on the desk 30 times! I only got up to 27!

Anyways, the ending was rushed because I had to finish it before sis got on. And yes, my update for LoveRivalryLove will come in 1 more friggin' day, depends on how much practice and homework I get. Anyways, this was a requested chapter, and thank you for reading this. If I didn't have a fanfic account, I think my brain would have exploded from too many oneshot ideas in my head. If you have any complaints, feel free to put them in a review, but please, no easy reasons like grammar, I'm trying to work on that, and Microsoft Word isnt' helping.

-Mashin

Note: I think I've improved in writing ever since Chapter 1. What do you think?


	6. Chapter 6:Hiei and Kagome

Mashin: I'm sorry, but this is just a short one-shot to get my mind going. I will start on that cursed Kag/Kabu soon, but this is just something for me to get started on. May be angsty and dark, but it's mainly the Rememberance day one-shot I forgot to put up.

I'm sorry, I'll get working' on those one-shots soon.

DISCLAIMER: Me no own.

_**Title:**__ We were the same_

_**Pairing:**__ Hiei and Kagome, because it's what's in my head._

_**Song: **__Zero, by Hawk Nelson._

_**Summary:**__ Even now, people rarely understand what Rememberance Day is for. A certain demon kindly remembers the once-shy girl lying in the grave. Deep red tears drop from his eyes as they solidify as soon as the hit the ground, as the memories are too deep to carry._

_**Note: **__This may just be completely useless to you, but I'd like for anyone reading this to think of those close to you that have been injured/killed. Please pray for those lost._

CHAPTER START:

**_Your life dreams are shattered_**

_**Now you're gone away**_

_**We've cried here for hours,**_

_**And the hours turn to days**_

_**We know you regret this, leaving us here**_

_**With portraits and memories that we've held so dear**_

He could hear the song in the distance, his thoughts too occupied with the grave in front of him. It was stupid of him to do, let her destroy her life to save him. Him, of all people. Why not the fox?

Sitting beside the grave, the song turned louder as he followed the lyrics, thinking just how wonderful it fit his life. But this wasn't about suicide; this was about giving your life for another.

Risking another look to the name on the cross, his emotions gave way as he freely started crying, crying for the one he loved the most. Crying for the one that loved him. Crying for her. Just her, and her only.

_**When I hear your name**_

_**It's not the same**_

_**No matter what they say, I'm not okay**_

_**And we started at Zero, and went different ways**_

_**Now we're all out here wasting away**_

_**And if we started at Zero, then how did things change**_

_**It seems like just yesterday, we were the same.**_

Blood red gems hit the ground as the circled around the grave, the source of them with his head bowed and his gravity-defying hair sticking up.

His soul mourned, his body mourned, his mind mourned for the mate he lost, merely because he couldn't protect her. He didn't have enough power.

And as the sky mourned with him on the loss of a pure soul, his anger and rage left him, leaving him a broken shell of sadness.

Hiei turned once more to the grave, feeling the deceased's cousin come up.

"What do you want, Kuwabara?"

Turning around to fully face the man, his face let one more drop fall as he turned back to the grave and kept his head bowed.

Kazuma sat beside Hiei, offering him a place to sit. Taking it, the two just sat there in silence, remembering the girl they both lost.

_"I think I understand what you're feeling, shrimp."_

That comment broke the silence as Hiei looked at him, giving the 'yeah-right-you-can' look.

_"Shizune's in the hospital with cancer right now."_

"Oh."

Taking that as a comment Kazuma nodded and stared at the grave.

_"You know, I'm not mad at you."_

"Hm?"

_**It's been three months since he left us**_

_**So far nothing's been the same**_

_**And my question without answer**_

_**Is 'Am I the one to blame?'**_

_**He was such a good description **_

_**Of a favored future man**_

_**He spoke well of other people**_

_**And they said the same for him**_

_"She did what she felt like, you can't really be mad at someone for that."_

Taking the silence as an answer of sadness, he snuck a glance at the hybrid beside him.

Hiei's head was still bowed as the tears came freely again, never stopping. His cloak was tattered, and the scarf around his neck was red instead of white.

_"Shrimp, your wounds are opening."_

Glancing down at the scarf, he shrugged and continued looking at the grave while trying to hide his face.

Silence overcame them as Kazuma got fed up with the silence. Standing up, Kazuma got ready to yell at him.

Hiei looked up and saw Kazuma glaring at his from above.

_"Get up Hiei. Kagome-chan wouldn't want you to be sulking, with it being three months since the burial! She died to let you live longer, no mope around and do nothing!"_

An anger mark was seen on Kazuma's face as Hiei ignored him and settled for looking at the grave.

He sighed. _"Fine. Be that way, but I'm staying here until you get your butt up and go do something productive, like actually answering one of Koenma-sama's calls!"_

No answer. Kazuma sat down again as they looked at the cloudy sky. The sunset turned the clouds from their usual white to red, orange, yellow, and purple.

_**When I hear your name**_

_**It's not the same**_

_**No matter what they say, I'm not okay**_

_**And we started at Zero, and went different ways**_

_**Now we're all out, here wasting away**_

_**And if we started at Zero, then how did things change?**_

_**It seems like just yesterday, we were the same**_

_**We were the same…**_

Two hours passed between them as Kazuma got up.

_"That's it. Hiei, get up. We're leaving, weather you like it or not."_

Looking up at Kazuma, Hiei just stared back at the grave.

_"DAMMIT HIEI, DO YOU WANT OTHERS LIKE KAGOME-CHAN TO DIE?!"_

That got a reaction as Hiei stood up and glared at him. "And why the hell would I let that?"

_"Because with you moping around here, someone is being killed by a demon somewhere in the world. It's time for you to pick it up and do what you can around here, to protect those close to you and help us out! Or do you not want to see your sister Yukina-chan?!"_

Hiei stood frozen, looking at Kazuma as he tensed at hearing that he knew.

_"That's right. I figured it out after we saved Yukina-chan from that guy. It may not seem like it, but both of you have similarities, and the way you try to keep her safe is noticeable. If you want people like her to get in danger, go ahead and mope here, but Kagome-chan would want you reuniting with people, being happy that you're alive, instead of her death being in vain."_

As the reality hit Hiei full on, his bangs covered his face for a moment, before looking up at Kazuma, with newfound determination and strength in his eyes.

"Fine. Let's go."

_**And we started at Zero, and went different ways**_

_**Now we're all out, here wasting way**_

_**Wasting away, wasting away, wasting away**_

_**And we started at Zero**_

_**And went different ways**_

_**Now we're all out, here wasting away**_

_**And if we started at Zero, then how did things change**_

_**It seems just like yesterday, we were the same.**_

_**We were the same**_

_**We were the same…**_

XxOwari.

Mashin: That's just a pointless one-shot because I needed something to vent my emotions out on, and writing seems the best so far, with my lead pencil broken and all my other pencil stolen by my classmate. Anyways, review if you feel like it, but this is just something you would call a filler. I'll have the next chapter out sometime, must make a plot.

-Mashin.


	7. Chapter 7:Kabuto and Kagome

Mashin: Well, I finally decided to get on with this. This is the result of banging heads, writer's block, tearing my hair out, and yelling at people to get off their computers so I could type. That, and did I mention the banging heads? (Sighs) This is so not going to end well. And this is slightly shorter, since I'm trying to actually update LoveRivalyLove, but that's not going so well. And I'm stuck, but that's why God made siblings with a weird sense of humor most have...Man, something's wrong with me. Oh, and everybody will probably come back after chapter 8, so be ready for more randomness and places being blown up by Deidara. But please, I know this sucks.

DISCLAIMER: Me no own. HAPPY?! (Sobs)

_**Title:**__ When we were young._

_**Pairing:**__ Kagome/Kabuto not much fluff, I want to keep it not that romantic._

_**Summary:**__ None._

_**Song:**__ Sunrise, by Angel City. God, it's getting harder to find songs.._

_**Notes: **__None whatsoever._

HERE'S YOUR CHAPTER:

* * *

**_Talk to me_**

**_What are you doing_**

**_What are you thinking right now_**

**_Set me free_**

**_I'm just a prisoner to you_**

**_Time goes by_**

**_And I'm still waiting forever and a day but_**

**_I thought I say you yesterday_**

**_I thought those words that I heard you say

* * *

_**

_"See Kabu-chan! I can do it!"_

He slightly recognized the branches and leaves in his way as he jumped every time he took a step, gaining more ground as he quickened his pace. The thrill of hunting was humming in his blood as he grinned a feral grin, dodging a branch and seeing his target up ahead.

_"Next time, you better believe that I can do it!"_

His grin widening, the trees thinned out as his feet hit solid ground, now running on pure ground towards the Rice country. The target struggled to keep their pace level, but he could tell the exhaustion was getting to them. Hell, it was getting to him too.

_"Remember, tell me if anyone calls us weak; I'll kick their sorry ass."_

Jumping up behind the figure, he pulled out a sword strapped behind his back and swung it down in an arch. Looking behind them, the figure pulled out its own sword and swung it right at Kabuto. While Kabutos' was a deep red, the other sword was pure white.

When I look at the sunrise The Sunlight melts my fears away When you're living in this feeling Don't ever let me go (Ever let me go) When I'm under the starlight It feels right The thought is on my mind I'll set you free (I'll set you free) I'll set you free. 

The two swords clashed, blue sparks erupting from the point where they met from all the force and action put behind the swings. The background became a blur as the two people only focused on their swords.

"Surrender and yield your weapon!" Kabuto yelled, putting more effort.

"Make me!" the figure yelled, pushing into him even more.

Growling, he swung his sword in the opposite direction, causing the other sword-user to stumble and almost trip, if they hadn't grabbed Kabuto to lean on. Quickly getting up, they roughly aimed a punch at Kabuto's stomach, until he blocked the fist with the blunt side of his blade.

"Unari is roaring for blood again, I see." The figure muttered, doing a flip to back out of the sword's range.

"Yeah? Well, Junshin looks like it wants to purify the hell out of something." Kabuto replied, dodging the now glowing pink sword that was currently aimed at his leg.

* * *

_**Look at me What are you thinking**_

_**Tell me what you're seeing**_

_**Le me go**_

_**If there's nothing you believe

* * *

**_

Retracting their swords again, they started up their running and turned back, clashing swords with each other every step. By now, both of them were tired, but neither wanted to give up. That's what Kabuto liked about her. Her determination and will to live.

"_Promise me you're never gonna leave me, 'kay?" _

Shaking his head, Kabuto ducked another aimed attacked at his head and aimed for the person's ribs, which he missed. Jumping back for a better aim, he dodged a branch aiming for him and ran right toward the figure, just as they stopped in a clearing.

Quickly using a kunai to break the mask of the figure's face, Kabuto's grin turned into a laugh at the sight of the raven-haired girl in front of him.

Clay bits fell from her hair, the remnants of the mask. Brown eyes twinkled with mischief as the girl smiled. She was merely wearing a black outfit, which was a sleeveless muscle shirt and some black knee-long shorts.

Quickly dropping her sword, she laughed and fell down on the grass. "Ne, Kabuto-kun, did you have to break the mask? That's the fifth one you broke during our sparring! I'm running out of clay and money, you know!" she laughed again as she brushed most of the clay bits out of her hair.

"Well, it's not my fault they're made of clay and break easily, Kagome-chan." He said, sitting down beside her as they stared at the clouds.

Time goes by I'm still waiting Forever And a day but I thought I saw you yesterday I thought those word That I heard you say 

Lying down together, they didn't notice that their hands were curled up beside each others, merely watching clouds drift by and the occasional gust of wind that seemed to tickle their face. "Kabuto-kun?"

"Hm?"

"Why couldn't things be like they were before…before the Kyuubi incident? Why can't we joke around anymore, why can't we laugh and smile like innocent kids?" All was silent as Kabuto raised a hand and brushed her hair out of his face.

"Maybe it's because we're all grown up. We've had our chance of fun, now it's time to step into the adult world and go on with life."

"Hm, that actually seems pretty accurate. But I get a year more of fun than you!" Kagome cheered, doing a victory dance on the ground. Which pretty much seems impossible.

"That's because you're a year younger than me." Immediately stopping in her victory dance, Kagome hugged Kabuto, both of them now in a sitting position. "Aw, don't worry. With luck, you'll grow to be old and wrinkly with lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

"I don't like the tone in your voice when you said that."

"I said 'with luck.' Doesn't mean you're actually going to."

Playfully growling, he cuffed her around the neck. "Don't tease me." All went silent as they just sat there, staring at God-knows-what, each occupied with their own thoughts.

"Kabuto-kun?" Not offering a reply and merely looking at her, she continued. "When is your work with Orochimaru-teme done?" Knowing she hated Orochimaru with a passion, he merely offered a short reply.

"When we finish."

"I know that, but when can you be free again?"

* * *

_**When I look at the Sunrise Sunlight melts my fears away**_

_**When you're living this feeling**_

_**Don't ever let me go (Let me go)**_

_**When I'm under the starlight**_

_**It feels right**_

_**The thought is on my mind**_

_**I'll set you free (I'll set you free)**_

_**I'll set you free

* * *

**_

Not knowing the answer, he patted her head. "There are some things you can't answer, and that's one. Just let fate roll and we'll figure something out from there. You don't know if you're going to die tomorrow, or live another day." There. That was good enough for her, right?

Sighing, Kagome laid her head on his shoulder. "True, but I wish everything could hurry up. Then we can actually get married."

"Yeah, well you try telling a Sannin that his right hand assistant is ditching him to get married."

"Meh, worth a try."

Laughing at her antics, Kabuto put a hand on her shoulder. "Just don't get yourself injured if you do. I might be able to leave next week, and I can go on vacation for a month or so.

Smiling, she snuggled into his warmth. "Fine. But you have to come back next week."

"Deal."

And with that, the duo left the clearing for a nearby non-ninja village, intent on spending Kabuto's free time together. Before they went back to their dangerous lives and never met each other for another while. Before they went back to acting serious and powerful. Merely wanting to spend time free and wild.

* * *

_**When I look at the sunrise**_

_**Sunlight melts my fear away**_

_**When you're living this feeling**_

_**Don't ever let me go (Let me go)**_

_**When I'm under the starlight**_

_**It feels right**_

_**The thought is on my mind**_

_**I'll set you free(I'll set you free)**_

_**I'll set you free.

* * *

**_

Mashin: …I have absolutely no idea what the hell was up with this. It was just something that came into my mind, okay?! I feel so ashamed at this, but it's the only thing I can think of right now, with everything going on. Please understand this.

I might do a sequel to this, seeing how the friends who read this before it was uploaded said I should continue it. You guys send a review and decide.

And I'm having requests down temporarily, you guys request a lot.

-Mashin.


	8. Chapter 8:Kakuzu and Kagome

Hey! It's chapter 8 of this collection of one shots! And if you didn't read the damn chapter title like you're supposed to, it's a KagomeKakuzu!

**Naruto:** She's in her hyper-yet-sad mode. Like on PMS….

**Mashin:** Naruto?

**Naruto:** Yeah?

**Mashin:** Shut up.

**Kagome:** Err; I'll do the story.

* * *

_**Title: **__Once upon a Shooting star._

_**Pairing: **__Kagome and Kakuzu_

_**Summary: **__And as the shooting stars flew across the pure black sky, a couple under the moonlight will confess their love and joy. Wishes do come true._

_**Song: **__Nagareboshi, also known as Shooting star_

_**Notes: **__The song's in Japanese, so the English translation will be right beside the lyrics.

* * *

_

**Ibiki:** Will you give it up?! I am not doing the disclaimer!

**Mashin:** I'll sic a random fangirl on you.

**Ibiki:** …Mashin here owns nothing. God you'd be good as an interrogator.

**Mashin:** Writing's more my thing. You just be the scarred baldy you are.

**Ibiki:** …I hate you.

* * *

_**Sora wo miagereba When I look up at the sky**_

_**Hoshitachi ga hora matataiteru**__** The stars, see are sparkling**_

_**Kono hoshi hitotachi mitai ni **__**Each giving off its own light**_

_**Samazama na hirari wo hanatte**__** Like the people on this planet**_

_**Sou sou dakara boku mo **__**Yeah, so I, too**_

_**Hitokiwa kagayaite itain da **__**Want to shine particularly bright**_

_**Me wo tojite kokoro ni chikau **__**I close my eyes and make a vow in my heart**_

_**Nagareboshi Ni yume WO takushite **__**And entrust my dreams to that shooting star

* * *

**_

Pure specks of white littered the pure black sky, the stars up their clashing with the darkness that came with moonlight. It bathed everything in a pale light, making them seem more unworldly than usual.

A girl around the age of 17 gave a soft sigh almost unheard, if it weren't for the keen hearing of the man right beside her. His head was covered in bandages, but his face was hidden behind a mask, with a hiate on top of his bandage-covered head. The rest of him was hidden behind a baggy black cloak with red clouds on it. Yes, this was Kakuzu of the Akatsuki.

The girl had a clump of black hair on her head, looking like it wasn't brushed for a while. Her school uniform was tattered and caked with mud and blood, yet her brown eyes and smiles made you doubt if she was ever in a fight. If it weren't for the black circles under her eyes and the way she clung to Kakuzu, you would have thought she was perfectly fine. Which she wasn't.

Right now, Kagome Higurashi just wanted to fall asleep and hope that Kakuzu would bring her back to the lair and put her on a spare bed. She had already felt like it was her third home when she first arrived, being tackled by Tobi and greeted by Kisame. And eventually, the gloomy and murderous aura around the place had brightened. Hell, Itachi was looking like his old self-before he had murdered his clan**(1)**- and Pain**(2)** was showing up more often and having more conversations. Maybe something whacked them all on the head. Like Kagome's bow.

Smirking from her place on Kakuzu's back, Kagome pointed at the stars. "Ne, Ne! Kakuzu-kun! Let's stop and watch the stars!"

You could have heard the groan in his mind. "But why Kagome-chan? Nothing's interesting in the sky tonight."

"Well you either haven't opened your eyes, or didn't look up, because it's a meteor shower!"

Glancing up, Kakuzu noticed a cluster of flying rocks stream across the sky. "Wow. You were right."

"Told 'ya."

Scowling playfully, Kakuzu dropped Kagome off his back and sat down so his back rested on the rough bark of an oak tree. Kagome was lying down in the grass with her arms spread open and a big smile on her face.

* * *

_**Koko was itsumo no kouen I'm in my usual park**_

_**Yakei ga mieru **__**I can see the night scenery**_

_**Suberidai no ue **__**On the slide**_

_**Mukashi kara boku no tokutouseki**__** That's been by special seat for years**_

_**Nayami ga areba koko ni kurun desu **__**Whenever I'm worried about something, I**_

_**come here**_

_**Ano koro no mama yume no tochuu de **__**Just like then, I'm on my way to my dreams**_

_**Ima de kanaerarezu ni irun desu **__**But unable to fulfill them**_

_**Moshikashite koko ga mou shuuten **__**Maybe this is the end of the line**_

_**Nante yowane wo haite shimaisou na hi mo aru **__**There are days when I say weak **__**Things like that**_

_**Demo sono tabi ni omoidasu **__**But every time, I remember**_

_**Nagareboshi wo sagashite ano hoshizora **__**That starry sky where I looked for a shooting star**_

_**Chiisana koro no negaigoto **__**The wish I made when I was little**_

_**Ima mukashi mo kawaranai mama **__**Hasn't changed even now.

* * *

**_

"You know, for someone who almost got killed, you seem cheery."

"And for someone who just got his butt saved, you're awfully gloomy."

"My partner and friend almost got killed by Hatake Kakashi. Why wouldn't I be worried and sad?"

"Because said partner is beside you and poking your head." True enough, Kagome was poking Kakuzu's head while looking through her wallet. "Ne, Kakuzu-kun, did you see my money?"

"N-no! What makes you say that?" Sweat was coming off him in waves.

"Because most of the stolen money is taken by you. Anyways, I can't find it."

"How much was it?"

"Around five hundred yen, why?"

"Just asking."

Noticing the change in tone, Kagome raised an eyebrow. Minutes passed in a comfortable silence. No leaders to give them missions, no comrades bothering them, it was good. And since they were around 4 kilometers from the hideout and nobody was patrolling that night, they wouldn't be disturbed. Kakuzu's mask slipped a little as a breeze blew by, showing a hundred yen bill under his collar, which was very big.

"Would it kill you to stop stealing or being money-crazy?"

Kakuzu gave her a 'I-have-no-idea-what-you-talking-about, I'm-angelic' look.

"Don't give me that look. I know you took my money."

Playfully pouting, he pulled out the five hundred yen he took and put it back in her wallet. "How'd you know?"

"When you asked how much, your eyes were shifting."

"Damn. Maybe I should just cover my face with a clay mask."

Kagome gasped from her spot on the ground, looking horrified-though it was fake. "No! Then I wouldn't be able to see your eyes and know that you were lying! Oh, how my heart breaks.." she pretended to stand up and fall to the ground like she was stabbed in the heart.

Kakuzu laughed from his spot beside the trees. "Nah, you know you just love ripping the mask off to kiss me senseless."

Kagome got up quickly and went to Kakuzu until she was right beside him. "Don't say that out loud, Kazu-kun! Who knows whatever is out there with ears!"

"Yeah. Like the corn field 10 kilometers away."

"Where?!"

"I was joking, Kagome-chan."

Sighing, said girl laid her head down beside Kakuzu. "I knew that."

"Sure you did."

"Shut up before you lose more than your money."

Raising up his hands in a surrender sign, Kakuzu wrapped one around Kagome's shoulders and one landed lightly on the ground.

* * *

_**Sora wo miagereba When I look up at the sky**_

_**Hoshitachi ga hora matataiteru **__**The stars, see are sparkling**_

_**Kono hoshi hitotachi mitai ni **__**Each giving off its own light**_

_**Samazama na hirari wo hanatte **__**Like the people on this planet**_

_**Sou sou dakara boku mo **__**Yeah, so I, too**_

_**Hitokiwa kagayaite itain da **__**Want to shine particularly bright**_

_**Me wo tojite kokoro ni chikau **__**I close my eyes and make a vow in my heart**_

_**Nagareboshi Ni yume WO takushite **__**And entrust my dreams to that shooting star

* * *

**_

"Are you enjoying your stay here?"

"As ever. Modern Tokyo's too boring, and Sengoku Jidai is too dangerous. This place is jussst right…" Kagome purred out at the last moment as she remembered the people she had met.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Kakuzu happened to cause it. "And you are returning to your feudal friends in 2 weeks."

Kagome's smile dampened. "Yes, that's right. We're leaving in 2 weeks, for more shard hunting and then we're coming back in another 2 months, so everything's alright!"

There it was again. That waaay- too cheery fake smile/grin she put on for others. It killed her that she was leaving precious friends here, but she had a duty to do, and she had to right her wrong.

"By we, you mean you and Shippo? The kitsune with the Kyuubi vessel?"

The nod he was given was the only sign that she was listening and responding. Her eyes were glazed over and reflected the shooting stars shooting by in the sky.

"It's been good that he bonded with another Kitsune-even though it was a vessel. He knows more about his own race now. I can saw I'm proud."

Kakuzu knew it was hard on her to talk about him; it only reminded her that if it weren't for her, his father would be alive and well, instead of a spirit up in the clouds. So to spare her the trouble of trying to hide tears, he changed the subject.

"That reminds me. We should get back before Tobi cooks for us again. I really don't want to try his 'Meaty surprise.' I bet that it's human organs in disguise." He joked. Though Tobi was the one who did most of the cooking before Kagome came, he couldn't cook for crap.

Kagome laughed. "His meat surprise isn't that bad! Itachi-kun only fainted once!"

"Let's see you eat what he calls 'food' for 2 weeks."

She faked a groan and a sick face. "Ugh, hell no!"

"Told ya."

"Shut up Kazu-kun."

* * *

_**Miageta sora ni musuu no hoshi Looking up at the sky, there are countless stars**_

_**Ima mo mukashi mo kawaranai shi **__**The same number now that there was years ago**_

_**Yume wa hate shinaku kuruoshikute**__** My dreams are endless and crazy**_

_**Ano hoshi no you ni sugoku mabushii **__**Incredibly bright, like that star

* * *

**_

"Why do you continue to call me that nickname woman?! My name is Kakuzu. Need me to spell it for you? Ka.Ku.Zu." he bit out between his teeth. But Kagome couldn't see that because he was wearing a mask.

"Yeah? Well, looks like you need to remember my name too. It's Kagome! Ka.Go.Me."

Kakuzu silently chuckled at the playfulness she was radiating. It was rare to find someone like that when they've been in as many gruesome battles as her. Which was a thing he liked about her. How she managed to stay optimistic after everything happening.

They say in silence for a few minutes before standing up, Kagome jumping on Kakuzu's back once more as they resumed their run back. Looking back one last time, they noticed a blazing star out-fly the rest.

_I wish the one I loved loved me back…_ Kakuzu thought as he slowly turned his head from the sight of the remains of the star's trail, quickening his pace. 

_I wish I could find true love; not those schoolgirl crushes. I want to love someone forever, never to cheat behind each other's back._ Were the last things Kagome thought before she fell into a deep sleep on her partner's back.

They didn't notice that their wishes were already answered, and they merely needed a push in the right direction.

* * *

It was about 2 months after they had made their wishes on the star. Kakuzu was lying down near the entrance of the hideout watching the night sky as Pain sat beside him. 

"It's a good night, isn't it Kakuzu." He mentioned.

Kakuzu merely nodded, mostly focused on the path in front of the entrance, hoping that a certain time-traveler would be running up that path and greeting him.

Kami, please let her come safely and quickly, please make her come here… 

Kakuzu's eyes were closed and his hands were clasped in prayer, that her didn't notice shooting stars fly over his head, to a place he knew not of.

"Kazu-kun!"

* * *

_**Hey! Sonna ni utsumuite bakari icha Hey! If you keep hanging you head like that**_

_**Mieru mono mienaku nara kara **__**You won't even be able to see the things you can see**_

_**Sora miagete keep your head up!! **__**Look up at the sky, keep your head up!!**_

_**Hey! "Miageta sora ni ima, nani wo omou?" **__**Hey! What do you think of the sky you**__** see?**_

_**Itsuka kirameku ano hoshi no you ni… **__**Someday, like that shining star…**_

_**I wanna shine **__**I wanna shine

* * *

**_

Quickly opening his eyes at the sound of his nickname, he scanned the path for any sight of a young girl in a school uniform. At seeing nothing, his back slouched and he looked up at the sky, hoping for a sign.

"You look worried. Something the matter?"

Giving a slight shake of the head, Kakuzu went back to looking up at the sky, until he heard it again. "Kazu-kun!"

It sounded closer, and clearer. Surely his mind wasn't playing a game?

"Kazu-kun!"

Noticing Pain's reaction to the nickname, Kakuzu kept looking around more. "I think I'll go back now." Was all the leader said, as he stood up from his spot on a rock and turned around.

Not noticing his leader walk inside, or how nobody else was out, he clenched something inside of his cloak as her looked around even more. Where was that voice coming from?

The hand inside the pocket** (3)** of his cloak relaxed slightly so that whatever was in there wouldn't be crushed/broken/whatever else you describe something damaged. Stifling a sigh, he continued searching. Until his instincts told him to look to the left, which he did.

A shooting star illuminated all for him to see, as he watched in mere shock and awe as his 2-week partner arrived, running like Hell was on her heels.

* * *

A shooting star flew by over her head as a girl in a green and white sailor uniform brushed twigs and branches out of her way, her legs burning from the run they took. Sweat was pouring down her forehead, but she cared not. All that mattered to her was meeting them. Especially him. 

Breaking through the tree line, her feet hit dirt ground as she jumped over a log. Nothing was going to stop her. Absolutely nothing.

And as the same shooting star flew over her head, the light that followed it outlined a man in a black cloak, with bandages on his head and a mask covering his face, and all she could do was run faster; as fast as her legs could go.

"KAKUZU-KUN!"

* * *

_**Sora wo miagereba When I look up at the sky**_

_**Hoshitachi ga hora matataiteru **__**The stars, see are sparkling**_

_**Kono hoshi hitotachi mitai ni **__**Each giving off its own light**_

_**Samazama na hirari wo hanatte **__**Like the people on this planet**_

_**Sou sou dakara boku mo **__**Yeah, so I, too**_

_**Hitokiwa kagayaite itain da **__**Want to shine particularly bright**_

_**Me wo tojite kokoro ni chikau **__**I close my eyes and make a vow in my heart**_

_**Nagareboshi Ni yume WO takushite **__**And entrust my dreams to that shooting star

* * *

**_

Kisame snickered from his spot beside the entrance, looking at Itachi and Deidara beside him from time to time.

"500 yen says that they'll do it **(4)** by tonight."

"No way! 2000 says they kiss, un!"

Kisame looked at Itachi. "Itachi-san, are you going to bet?"

Tobi was in the background with the pot, waving like a madman while holding onto the money and the paper for the notes. There was already about 20 000 yen in the pot though.

"…. 5000 says they'll be together in 30 minutes."

"Ha! See! Itachi can vote! 200 yen Zetsu!"

Zetsu's black side swore while his white side gave the money.

* * *

Kakashi hid farther into the trees as he watched Kakuzu and Kagome embrace. He was just sent to make sure Kagome didn't get attacked before leaving the Fire country, but he decided to merely stick along and watch what happened. And boy, he was sure glad he listened to his instincts. 

Giving a soft smile to Kagome, and a less-soft smile to Kakuzu, he turned around and started walking away. True, the one she loved may have been a S-class criminal, but at least he loved her back. Unlike Inuyasha. But that guy was in the past, and now they needed to focus on the present.

_Good luck with your new love life Kagome-chan.

* * *

_

Shooting stars littered the sky as they blazed around, and all couples that night would see the stars and everything under them, merely content with their lover. This included a couple beside the hideout's entrance.

* * *

Itachi smiled. "Pay up." 

Grumbling, everyone handed him the money in the pot, and half of that was given to Deidara.

"Hey, they kissed, un."

* * *

**Mashin:** Well, that's the end of this chapter. I'll let you guys think of your own ending, since I got some messages that some people don't really like the way I end the stories so quickly. I'm sorry but it's not my fault I must share a computer with others! And that I have practice a lot…. that and homework…. Okay, so maybe it's my fault. 

**_NOTES ON STORY:_**

_Wow. That's the first time I've used a Non-english song in a oneshot. Did you guys like it? Would you guys like me to continue typing English translations beside the lyrics? And to tell the truth, it really is getting harder to find good songs. I'm going through my youtube account for some. And it ain't easy._

_This one had about over 3000 words, so it's probably the most I wrote in 1 chapter. And there's not much smutt because I'm too busy focusing on projects I have. So leave an opinion._

Now I don't know why, but I'm slowly losing interest in LoveRivalryLove. And it seems that so are the readers. It's been updated for about a few days or so, and nobody has reviewed. Though I will be patient. So readers, I ask you.

Should I change the name of all my stories?

Should I just delete one of my stories?

Should I continue will my stories?

Or….

Should I remake the Ikarishipping and Naruto fic?

It's up to you guys.

NOTES:

**(1)**When I say that, I mean before he turned all cold, cruel, and destructive. And by how he used to act, it was nice, caring, and thoughtful. Though not like Iruka…. kinda like Kakashi. Except he was cold to his father, and had a way of persuading people while smiling, which is something we have yet to see from Kakashi.

**(2)**I have no idea what his real name is. Some say its Pain, others say its Pein. Make a decision.

**(3)**I have no idea if there are pockets in the Akatsuki cloaks. If there aren't, let's say that Kakuzu's does, for the money and stuff.

**(4) **Shoot, almost forgot to put this. If you're under 17-18 while reading this, go ask your parents for a description. It involves something that if I explained it, I would have to put this to M.


	9. Chapter 9: Yusuke and Kagome

**Mashin**: Hey Yo! This is an update, and something you would probably call a filler…. The Kag/Deidara is coming soon, I swear! I just want another break from Naruto for a while. Hey, a Naruto fan can take a break too!

**Naruto:** That's what you said before.

**Mashin:** Naruto, get your butt moving before I kick it.

**Yusuke:** …..Okay. Who are you pairing up this time?

**Mashin:** You and Kagome.

**Hikaru:** This is something I've gotta see.

**Sakura:** …I'll start the chapter:

* * *

_**Title:**__ Fight to Preserve_

_**Pairing:**__ Yusuke and Kagome_

_**Summary:**__ After being stuck in Modern Tokyo for a year, Kagome decides to get some training in hand-to-hand combat. But after an unlikely saviour saves her from a gang attack, she wonders if this just might be the guy to help her move on._

_**Song:**__None._

_**Notes:**__ Any complaints about me tweaking Kagome's personality like this, and I swear Ibiki will get one more scar on his head. One more complaint about crossovers and I'm gonna rip out someone's throat. One more comment about Kagome or characters used and I'm gonna kill something. One more sexist comment from a guy, and I will castrate them and send them to Hell._

_Yusuke will talk in Underline/Italic and Kagome will talk in Italic.

* * *

_

**Ibiki**: Mashin owns nothing. Kagome belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, and Yusuke belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. Anything else mentioned belongs to their respective owners. Please don't castrate me.

* * *

Many thought that Street fighting wasn't hard. You just kick, punch, and attack. 

WRONG!

For Yusuke, it was like a dance. A dance of violence and dodging hidden weapons your opponent has. But a dance, notherless. It looked simple and non-effective, but it was the polar opposite of that. It was like a dance imprinted into your memory on your day of birth. Everyone knew a little of it, but never took the chance to improve on it.

Dodging a roundhouse kick aimed at his head, he elbowed the offender in the neck as he fell unconscious. His usually gelled-up hair was down and floppy from the rain, and his white muscle shirt was soaked to the bone with the water from the heavens. Cleaning the dust off his wet jeans that hugged his legs, he turned toward the young girl on the ground hear a garbage can, his feet a few centimeters away from her head, her head that he could easily crush.

Her face was scrunched together in pain as the blood fell from the wound on her head, along with the others on her. Her school uniform was torn from pocketknives and the flimsy dagger that she had picked up from a fallen thug was broken, split in half.

Sighing, he picked up the unconscious girl-watching the wounds she had- and took her to his place. For some reason, his instincts were telling him to not tell anyone about her-not even Hiei.

* * *

It had been 2 weeks. 2 weeks of living hell. 

When the girl had woken up, she had just stared at him weirdly, and then opened the window and look like she was trying to fall out the window. He had started panicking, until he realized the screen on the window was still on. Then he had mentally smacked his head for being a dimwit.

When his beating heart had finally calmed down enough for him to ask her what she was doing, her head was already out the window with the screen gone. Apparently, she was looking for something/one. Giving up, she had looked at him again and told him _'You saw nothing'_. Then disappear! Disappear, for Kami's sake! Disappear!

He had traced her energy to a shrine, apparently her family shrine. He had heard people call her 'Kagome', so that's what he had thought her name was. He had hidden in the leaves of a giant tree on the shrine grounds and watched as Kagome had raced into the house and picked up another dagger from her room, changed into fighting clothes-and mind you, he had turned around-, and raced back out, only to pick up a bow and shoot it at him, only missing his head by centimeters! Centimeters!

Then she had the nerve to order him to come out, still pointing an arrow at him! Well, of course he had come out. He still wanted to live, and he would rather live with all his limbs and appendages, thank you very much.

After seeing that he wasn't a threat, she had lowered the bow and thanked him. God, it's been around 2 hours after she wakes up, and she decides to thank him then?! She was pretty twisted.

And right after he was going to ask why thugs had attacked her, a demon decides to come along. A SLUG DEMON!

Kagome had hidden behind him and shot an arrow at it. And poof! It turned to dust!

I was pretty shocked at this. 1) How'd she do that? And 2) Why the hell had she used him as a shield from a low-level slug demon?

Then she told me she was scared of bugs and insects…but she hated worms and slugs the most. And she had told me that she was a miko. I had to ask Kurama about that later.

And you know what Kurama had said? That mikos were people TRAINED TO KILL DEMONS! And when I told him about her, he was just pure silent! In shock! What the hell shocks Kurama?

And here he was, 2 weeks later, and watching over Kagome as she played with little kids around the Goshibinki, as he later learned. It seemed to calm and soothe the souls of people around it. And that girl seemed to have a connection to it.

* * *

Kagome was someone who puzzled him to no end. 

It was Saturday, and Yusuke and Kagome were resting in the God tree's shade, finished with around 2 hours of practicing street fighting. Yusuke was holding a can of pop, while Kagome was chugging down her bottle of water.

"_Ne, Yusuke-kun?"_

"_Yes Kagome-chan?"_

It took a while for Kagome to start talking. Her eyes were focused on the ground in front of her feet, and her smile had turned into a slight frown. Something was bothering her. _"H-have you ever… fell in love?"_

Yusuke's startled eyes had looked at her. He was expecting something about his job as a Reikai Tantei, but not a question about his love life.

It still hurt for him to say it, but she had asked, so he would answer.

_"I did. I-I once fell in love. But that love wasn't what I thought it was."_

Noticing Kagome's curiosity in her eyes, he managed to continue without breaking down. After all, it had only been about a month, and he didn't have time to cope with it.

_"I…fell in love with my childhood friend… She was really special to me…she's the one who helped bring me to life…"_

He noticed another unasked question in her eyes, but decided to ignore it and instead go on with talking about **her**. The one who had ripped out his heart and stepped on it.

_"She was always in danger… telling me to stop fighting demons… so she and me could live peacefully and wonderful…but something happened."_

Kagome's hand had brushed against Yusuke's, and again, he had felt the sudden jolt of electricity. It sent butterflies down his stomach, and he paused for a minute to let the feeling pass. It was the same feeling he had felt when **she** was near him. Did this mean that he was moving on already?

"_She slowly grew out of love with me… and I left her for about 3 years…. to train and control the demon blood in me…so I wouldn't hurt anyone close to me… But she took that the wrong way."_

Squeezing his hand, Kagome's frown turned deeper, and her eyes seemed to tell what he mouth couldn't._ 'Continue, I'm listening. Don't worry, you can get through this.'_

Swallowing the lump growing in his suddenly dry throat, he licked his lips and continued.

_"I came back after 3 years…and she was there, waiting for me. It was really wonderful. For the first month, we were inseparable. Then, little by little…I found that love disappearing…_

_"Over the next 3 months… she became distant, like I was barely there. Most of our anger turned into arguments, even though they had nothing to do with each other. I don't know what was going on… It felt like the love I felt for her was quickly evaporating. Like she wasn't who I thought she was."_

Kagome had leaned closer to Yusuke, and wrapped her arms around him._ "It felt like nothing happened anymore between you two, didn't it? Like she was just a friend, or less maybe… You didn't know what was going on, did you? You kept convincing yourself you were in love, but you didn't feel that way…am I right?"_

_"Yeah. You're right."_ That was the only think he had said as he looked at her, clear salty tears threatening to fall down his cheeks and leave a blazing trail of warm water.

_"Go on, don't worry. Nobody else is going to hear, and you can stop if you want."_

But he needed this. He needed to tell someone, release all the pent-up frustration and emotions raging inside him. You don't need miko powers to see that he was struggling with coming to terms with whatever happened. A blind man could see that.

_"About 4 months after I noticed that things were breaking about, she came up to me right after a mission for my job. She…she had come up and given me back my engagement ring…said she didn't love me as she thought she had, and walked off. I went in her direction to the park…I saw her kissing another guy, someone who … God, I felt like shit."_

The tears came freely, and he held his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking with every breath he inhaled and exhaled. Kagome merely tightened her grip on him and made soothing circles on his back, feeling his tightened muscles under her hands. He was crying, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

_"She left me for a normal human… I should have seen it coming, she was always asking me to skip a mission just once for her…and I never listened…God that sucks. The guy had attacked me, saying I was a disgrace to the school… It hurt, that she was going out with him behind me…when I went through all that for nothing… It made me feel that I was nothing, that if I died, nobody would mind…_

_But I had been through that before, I didn't want to go through it again, I was going to have to feel the guilt and pain everyone felt… and it would have hurt even more, because I have more comrades and friends than when I died the first time. And I'm pretty sure Koenma would have just revived me again so the gang could kill me themselves."_

Slightly smiling at how he had managed to slip in a joke at a sad story, her grip loosened a little as she hugged him again. _"Do you feel better now?"_

Pretending to think for a while, he put a finger on his chin. His eyes were still red with tears, and the lines of tears had lessened, but they were still there. They clashed with the goofy smile he was wearing. _"To tell the truth, yes. Did you know this would happen?"_

Kagome had smiled, and laughed as she had thrown her head back and released him for a second to cover her mouth. _"Yes. I had found that you need to release pent-up emotions before they really cloud your judgment and make you do something regrettable and stupid."_

Chuckling, Yusuke had slung an arm around her shoulders. In a moment, his expression turned to seriousness and sorrow again. _"What about you? Did you tell anybody about you?"_

He slightly scowled when she had put on an innocent look. _"Don't look at me like that. There's a reason why you were able to sympathize with me, and it wasn't instincts. It was experience."_

Kagome gave a hollow laugh as she snuggled into Yusuke's arm._ "You're sharp. Yes, I have told somebody. But I didn't tell them all of it. That's what bugs me."_

_"Then tell me, say the whole thing. I bet you I won't shun you, and I'll listen through the whole thing."_

She had not sensed a bit of humor in that, even though it seemed like that. So she started telling him her life story, the story on why she was still here in Modern Tokyo instead of in Feudal Japan.

_"I had fallen in love…ever since I started time-traveling. He was brash, yet nice at the same time. Like you, but you're more extreme on both the brashness and the kindness."_

Yusuke scoffed at the comment. _"No more fake comments 'bout me."_

_"Who said I was faking it?"_

Coughing on imaginary water, he thumped his chest with his fist until his coughing died down._ "You didn't mean that, did you Kagome-chan?"_

_"I did. Now are you going to keep interrupting me? As happy as that sounds, I want to get this over with."_

_"Err, carry on 'Oh Mighty lady of the lands'."_

Kagome threw back her head and laughed again._ "Now you're joking."_

_"Who said I was joking?"_

She turned around to see Yusuke giving her the innocent look. You know, the ones your younger sibling/child gives when they know they've done something bad.

_"Nice try. That look doesn't suit you."_

_"Aw, Kagome-chan! Are you saying that I'm not innocent and nice?"_

_"That's exactly what I'm saying."_

Yusuke faked a pout, and instantly got on his feet and faced the well house, his shoulders straight and standing in front of Kagome.

_"What's going on?"_

_"Something's coming out of the well."_

Upon hearing this, Kagome got herself up and stood right behind Yusuke, putting a hand on his shoulder, which was stiff as hell. She straightened her back and they waited for whatever was in there to come out.

And speak of the devil, it did.

The first thing Yusuke saw was red and white. After a second glance, he was dog-ears, but they looked like cat ears. The next thing he saw were amber eyes and a scowl on the demon's face. Well, half demon, since he could sense the human in him.

Kagome's hand tightened on his shoulder as she pressed herself closer to Yusuke, as if she could somehow merge with him and not be there.

_"Wench!"

* * *

_

Kagome hid her face in between Yusuke's shoulder blades, and he felt the tears through the muscle shirt. She was crying, and he was the cause of it. That was enough information for him.

Stepping forward, but still keeping Kagome out of sight, Yusuke decided that he would confront the half-demon before he started any fights on Kagome's shrine.

_"Who the fuck are you?"_

Yup, confrontation instead of fighting.

_"I got business with the girl behind you. So step aside, and I won't beat the crap out of your skull."_

His aura flared at the way the half-demon insulted him, and Kagome. He should probably just beat him there. But then again, this was Kagome's shine.

_"I'm not moving_."

The hanyou flexed his claws. "Then I'll make you."

Suddenly, his feet left the ground, and Yusuke quickly looked up to see the hanyou coming towards him with his claws raised and ready to slice right through him.

_"Osuwari!"_

A bang was heard as the hanyou fell face-first into the ground right in front of Yusuke, said boy taking a step back to avoid touching him.

It took a few moments for the hanyou to get himself up and off the ground. _"Wench, what was that for?!"_

_"Osuwari!"_

Again, the hanyou met ground.

Turning around, Yusuke saw Kagome glaring at the hanyou, her face red with anger and her eyes puffy with tears. Her hair was a little messed up from hiding herself in his back, and her anger and sorrow was rolling off her in waves.

_"What was that for?!"_

Yusuke was ready to bash the guy's skull to Makai and back, but was shoved aside as Kagome rushed forward and enveloped the hanyou in a bone-crushing hug.

_"Baka! Baka, baka, baka!"_

To say the least, the two men were stunned. What was she doing, face planting the guy, and then hugging him the next moment?

_"K-Kagome-chan?"_

_"Baka! Why didn't you come earlier?! What happened to you all? I hear nothing from you all for a year, and you decide to come now?!"_

Instantly realizing it was about her time-traveling, Yusuke slowly and quietly moved away so the two could talk, but he left with a slightly saddened frown on his face and slouched shoulders.

Yusuke Urameshi had fallen in love, and he wasn't even sure if the one he loved loved him back.

* * *

20 minutes after the hanyou had shown up, Yusuke felt someone wrap his or her arms around his wait, holding onto him like he was a lifeline.

Turning around, he put his glass of water on the counter and hugged Kagome back. _"What's wrong Kagome-chan?"_

All he got back was a muffled _'Nothing'._

Sighing and plopping down on the couch right behind him, he put his legs on the armrest while Kagome took his head into her lap, stroking his hair while the two watched the news.

_"So who was he?"_

_"Old friend. Remember what I was trying to tell you before you interrupted with your nice comments?"_

_"Yes. Your first love. Let me guess, that was him?"_

_"Right on the dot Yusuke."_

_"He is nothing like me-"_

_"Except for the fact he cares deeply for friends, has been betrayed by a former love, and has gone through adventures that would normally kill a human being."_

_"…"_

_"Got you there."_

_"How are you so easy to talk about him now?"_

Kagome sighed, and stopped running her fingers through his hair, which he inwardly groaned at. She got into the same position as Yusuke, except on the opposite side, which made them face each other when talking.

_"You've had about less than a year, I've had 2 years to think this over. Well, 3 because of the year they were away. And most of that was spent with distractions and some peace. And I've felt it repeatedly, so that's why I'm practically immune to it. Besides, about last year, I realized that he wouldn't return it, so I stopped."_

Yusuke looked at her life she had just announced that she was pregnant with Toguro's son. _"…How the hell does someone get immune to that? That's inhuman!"_

Kagome just shrugged, looking up at the ceiling. _"I don't know. It just happened so much, I stopped felling sad about it. Besides, I had my friends Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo to help me. Not to mention Kaede!"_

Yusuke just continued to look at her. _"Wow. You had a lot of friends to help you out."_

_"Yeah, but you've got friends too, remember?"_

Yusuke nodded. He did have friends, and they were trustworthy with their lives. They could also sympathize, with what every member went through.

_"Yeah. Yeah, I got friends."_

_"Then you must know how hard yet easy it was for you to cope with it. And even if you are still coping with it, it's easier that it would be if you didn't have friends."_

Again, Yusuke nodded, memories flashing for a moment for two in his mind's eye. Flashes of Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara and him fighting as a team. Yeah, it was easier.

_"Yeah."_

_"Glad to see you can relate to me."_

_"But that doesn't explain about the hanyou."_

_"Inuyasha… I loved him, loved him like a lovesick puppy. But when my incarnation was revived as a living dead… he stopped paying attention to me as much and snuck off with Kikyou behind my back. It really hurt in the first few times… But when he told me straight out that we couldn't be together, because his heart still remained with Kikyou, no matter what… It made me feel at peace, like I had nothing to worry about. My heart was finally able to rest…"_

Yusuke looked at her through half-closed eyelids. He had never felt like that, but he wondered what it felt like. It sounded wonderful, a escape from reality. Something he needed.

Getting up, Kagome brushed her fingers through Yusuke's hair again, earning a soft purr. Wow. Who knew he could purr.

_"You must be tired. I'll set up a bed, just call Atsuko-san before you go to sleep."_

Mumbling a _'Kay'_, Yusuke got up slightly and picked up the portable phone while Kagome left to get an extra blanket and pillow from her room.

* * *

Opening the door to her room, she quickly rushed in and slammed the door shut as if someone was behind it. She leaned against it for support as she held the bridge of her nose softly. Her heart started pounding in her chest and her legs were about to give way until she threw herself on the bed in the corner.

She fairly opened her foggy eyes, and closed them a moment later. Her hand reached up above her to pick up a picture frame.

Holding it above her head, her eyes skimmed quickly over every figure in the photo, finally landing on Inuyasha in the center.

_"Mou, I miss them…"_

The well had stopped working for her last year, so she accepted it and moved on. But she never knew that Inuyasha could get through.

But what was this feeling? The feeling she usually got from Inuyasha, she got from Yusuke. It made her feel wanted, and warm. But it made her feel safe.

Clenching her heart again, she got up and picked up the spare blanket and a pillow from her bed. Opening the door, she looked back to the window before shaking her head and leaving, closing the door as if closing the door on her past.

_Am I falling in love? Again?

* * *

_

Yusuke smiled as he took the blanket and pillow from Kagome's hands, letting their fingers briefly touch as he moved away. He didn't miss the slight blush on Kagome's face, or the way her fingers trembled after that.

_"Ano, will you be okay Yusuke-kun?"_

_"I'll be fine Kagome-chan. G'night."_

Nodding, Kagome smiled and patted his head, turning around and walking up to the stairs. But she stopped as Yusuke's voice called out into the silent air between them.

_"Ne, Kagome-chan?"_

Turning around, she looked at Yusuke, holding the blanket and putting the pillow on the couch. Their eyes met as she slightly gasped. Electricity coursed through her veins as her heartbeat increased.

_"Yes, Yusuke-kun?"_

_"Do you love that guy, Inuyasha?"_

Instead of the normal reaction, which would have been asking Yusuke why he asked that, Kagome merely smiled softly to him. A smile only he could see.

_"No Yusuke-kun. I love someone else. But do you still love her, Keiko-chan?"_

Yusuke looked at Kagome, offering a similar smile. A smile of heartbreak and love.

_"No Kagome-chan, I love someone else."_

Satisfied with the answer, the two stared at each other once more before Kagome cleared her throat, her face pure red and her legs ready to turn to jelly._ "Ano, I should be going to sleep. Good night Yusuke-kun."_

Startled, Yusuke got jumbled with his words._ "Err, Good night Kagome-chan."_

Smiling again, Kagome turned around and started going up the stairs, until she was interrupted again. She turned around to see Yusuke facing the window with his face pure red.

_"Err, if you won't mind…do ya want to go out with me tomorrow? For lunch?"_

She giggled at the sight Yusuke made. Yusuke –plus- ruffled hair –plus- blushing face -equaled- cute and kawaii.

_"Sure Yusuke-kun. I'd like that."_

And with that, she went up the stairs and into her room, but not without hearing Yusuke do a victory dance.

_"Men."

* * *

_

**Mashin:** There was originally going to be a song added, but I thought that would take away…probably like the other one shots I write.

This is posted for Christmas, but it's not a Christmas-based one shot…weird.

Anyways, I'll get working on the Kagome/Deidara soon… Just gotta pick up from where I left off…. All my ideas are for future chapters…DAMN YOU SCIENCE!

Well, review and tell me what you think. Requests will be open around chapter 10 or so….

-Mashin.


	10. Chapter 10: Deidara and Kagome

**Mashin:** Yes, I am back after 2 hours of typing and printing and gluing and coloring and drawing and editing my Egypt project!

And just to say for my past chapters, I noticed mistakes in them, and I'm sorry for that. And the English translation didn't look as well as I expected. So if I put a non-English song up next time, I'm not putting the translation next to it. And this was supposed to be up around New Years, but I finished it waaaay earlier than I expected. So call it an early Christmas present. And now I write less, and dont' put as much emotion as usual...I don't know, I find it hard to put emotion in Naruto ones...Chapter 6 was apparently a success...

**Naruto: **And whom are you pairing Kagome-chan with now?

**Mashin:** Ummmm…. I know it's on here…. Deidara. Darn it, I write too many Inuyasha Naruto crossover fics!

**Kagome:** Yeah. And I'm stuck being your victim in every one.

**Mashin:** Oh yeah! Almost forgot! Next chapter, you get to meet the inner voice that helps me in all this! It's a he, and he'll be doing the chapter for me because I'm gonna be off in an event for laser tag. So ha!

**Kuronue:** Great, a male Mashin…Just what this world needs…

**Mashin:** All of 'ya, shut up! I gotta get typing before I get kicked off! And requests are now open!

* * *

_**Title:**__I'll be your Inspiration_

_**Pairing:**__ Deidara/Kagome, but it's one-sided. Not telling whom it is though._

_**Summary:**__ There are a few signs of a plot, but basically, it's a story with little events sewed together to make 1 chapter. _

_Plot: Kagome draws something, Itachi criticizes it, and she pranks Itachi. The Akatsuki group is getting bored, so Deidara and Kagome go on a mission out of boredom. They're attack, little fluff happens, and they're back. Now we skip to New Years._

_**Song:**__ None._

_**Notes:**__ Not much, other than Enjoy! One note is that I tried rewriting this many times, but this was what always came into my mind, so I just tweaked it around a little, and here you go!

* * *

_

**Ibiki:** Mashin owns nothing. Though she wishes, she may never have. Can I have my hiate back now?

**Mashin:** Sure.

* * *

He could feel the nervousness coming off her in waves. Her eyes stared at the ground, while her two feet fidgeted under his gaze. Her legs were stiff, her back was on the wall, and her bangs covered her brown orbs called eyes. All in all, she was pretty cute when she was nervous. Not that he'd say that.

She was wearing a dark blue regular T-shirt and some black baggy cargo pants under her Akatsuki cloak, which was only buttoned **(1)** halfway.

"Kagome-chan?"

All he got was a continuous muttering and some swear words.

"He's so gonna kill me, he's so gonna kill me-"

"Kagome-chan? What's wrong, un?"

"He's gonna kill me, he's gonna kill me-"

"…Kagome-chan?"

Deidara was getting pissed. It was like talking to a wall. She may be cute and talented, but she could get really annoying with that muttering. But she was cute doing it. Wait, what was with the comments his mind's making? Did he finally take too many blows to the head?

"Itachi-san's gonna kill me, Itachi-san's gonna kill me…."

"Kagome-chan? Why would Itachi-san kill you, un?"

Stopping her ranting and looking up for a moment at Deidara, she lowered her head in a sign of defeat as –speak of the devil- Itachi walked by, glaring at Kagome. If it weren't for the fact that glares can't kill, and Itachi couldn't kill a fellow Akatsuki member, Kagome would be a puddle of death on the ground in front of Deidara's feet. Which was something he never wanted to see.

"…Kagome-chan?"

"Yes Deidara-kun?"

"Is Itachi's hair pink, un?"

* * *

After hearing Kagome's explanation of why Itachi's hair was pink, Deidara was speechless. Who knew that the sweet little girl they all knew was evil and demented inside?

"So let me get this straight, un."

"Okay."

"You were painting, un. And Itachi-san criticized it, un."

"That's right."

"So you dumped a bucked of pink paint on him and all his clothes, un. And then you put pepper spray in his pants, un."

"Uh-huh."

"So now he's plotting a way of revenge, and you're trying to ignore him, un. Am I right?"

"100 Deidara-kun."

Deidara looked at her. "You're demented, un."

"I know."

* * *

"So, Kagome-chan, un. Can I see exactly what Itachi-san criticized?"

Kagome's smile faded to show a slight frown, her face pure red as she resumed her fidgeting.

"I-I mean, you don't need to show me, un!"

He hated making girls feel bad. You could call it an instinct to keep girls happy. That's probably why he based his attacks on art. Because of his mother. But he wouldn't go into it, because he didn't need to.

Kagome's beet red face stared back at the ground again. "Umm…it's just because…. Itachi-san kinda destroyed it."

"Oh." Deidara's shoulder's drooped just a little bit. He had wanted to see what got Kagome so embarrassed so badly.

"Oi! Kagome-chan!"

Deidara and Kagome looked to their left to see Hidan holding up Itachi's pepper sprayed pants. "This Itachi's?!"

"Hidan-san! Where the hell'd you find those?"

"The laundry room! Now all my fucking clothes are pepper-sprayed!"

Deidara looked at Kagome. Kagome slapped her face.

"If you want something to kill, go kill Itachi-san for it."

Satisfied with the answer, Hidan left, but not before throwing the pepper-sprayed pants into Kakuzu's laundry.

…

"This place is mad, un."

"And you didn't figure this out when you first joined?"

* * *

It had been 2 days after the pink hair incident. Itachi's hair was slightly light red, and the pepper spray was all gone. Right now, Kagome and Deidara were sitting in Kagome's room, both of them focusing on their art. Right now, Deidara was making mini bird bombs while Kagome was sketching some random animals on her paper.

It was silent-except for the mini bombs blowing up in the air- but it was a comfortable silence. Well, until Itachi rushed in.

Gasping, Kagome rushed to his side to check out all the bloody wounds on him. "Itachi-san! What the hell happened to you?!"

"…. Hidan…. sacrifice…."

At that, Kagome stopped checking over his wounds-since not many of them were life threatening, and looked at Deidara. "Has Hidan-san ever used a fellow member as a sacrifice?"

Deidara shoved down the lump in his throat, and looked from Itachi to Kagome, and back to Itachi. For some reason, every time he saw Kagome near him, he felt jealousy and anger directed at Itachi, and had to hold himself back from attacking Itachi. It was weird. He had never experienced it before, and he didn't really like new things. "No Kagome-chan, un. He's never done that, un."

Kagome shrugged as she moved back to her bed, in her place beside Deidara. For some reason-again-, that seemed to calm him down. His heartbeat slowed down a little and his shoulders slouched. "I guess everyone here is bored. We haven't had a mission for god knows how long."

"True, un."

And with that, Kagome and Deidara left the room to ask for a mission, so they wouldn't turn as insane as everyone else. With the exception of Tobi.

* * *

"So you two want a mission?"

Kagome and Deidara nodded. They may have not noticed how close they were to each other, but the leader did. It was probably going to be entertaining if they turned into a couple.

" Fine. I want you two to find and gain more information about Orochimaru-teme. 2 weeks. That's all you guys get. Dismissed." The leader went back to reading papers and secretly doodling on them. Not that he'd admit that.

Nodding again, the duo left.

The door slammed shut as the leader was engulfed in darkness gain. Sighing, he stood up from his desk and looked out the only window, where the forest around the base could be seen.

"So Deidara, you fell in love after all."

* * *

It had been a week ever since they had left the base. A week, and they were running back, hoping to get there on time and get away from their tailers. Kagome was on Deidara's back, her face pale and her breathing heavy.

"Dammit, how did we not see the poison on the kunai, un?! I thought we were ninja, un!"

Moving Kagome around on his back so he could run faster, the kunai clench in her hands fell slowly to the ground, and by the time it had hit the ground, Kagome and Deidara were long gone, and thus did not see the explosion caused by the paper bomb on the kunai.

Sighing, Deidara snuck a glance at the girl on his aching back. "Even asleep, you help me out, un."

Kagome's smile on her face brightened a little as her body worked faster to get rid of the poison.

A twang of guilt and pain echoed in his heart. He should have watched out for her while she collected information. As he ran, he vigorously shook his head. Why was he thinking so highly of a female?

Maybe because this female was special.

* * *

It had already been a week and two days after the attack. Everyone at the base was worried, for they were the only two that never came late. They had scouted the area already, but found nothing. Everyone started to panic, if it weren't for Tobi and the leader.

However, Kagome and Deidara were oblivious to this all, for they were stuck in a cave, with Kagome resting on her coat while Deidara sat near the fire, half-asleep. His face was sleep-deprived, and he desperately wanted some sleep. But he couldn't, because who would protect Kagome if he fell asleep? Nobody, that's who, and they didn't have any protection at the mouth of the cave. Except for some bird bombs, but those wouldn't last long.

With newfound determination, his eyes widened one more time for a few minutes before they drooped again. His shoulders were slumped, and the fire slowly died out, along with his stamina. Pretty soon, he was asleep, the only sound the crackling of little fire embers and the crickets outside.

His dreams were filled with peace and calm. And the thoughts of a raven-haired girl sleeping on an Akatsuki cloak around 4 feet away from his sleeping figure.

* * *

Small, nimble hands were patting the ground, reaching for a lock of Deidara's hair, as the fingers combed through the rest of the mess you would call hair. Snuggling deeper into the warmth from the hands, Deidara noticed the giggle that followed every touch of the hands.

Slowly opening his eyes, he came face to face with Kagome, her giggling face and the smile on it the only things he could see. Mainly because she was right beside him and had crawled to him in the middle of the night.

"I see you're feeling fine, un."

"Managed to get the poison out last night and felt cold, so I snuggled up to you. And you look cute whenever someone pets your hair."

He didn't need to see his face to know his cheeks were burning red then; he could see it on Kagome's face as she giggled again.

"You know, for someone who just woke up, you're awfully cheery, un."

"That's my nature!"

Sighing, Deidara just clung onto her. "Let me sleep for 5 more minutes, un."

"Fine. 5 more minutes."

Nodding, Deidara's brain went to sleep mode, with Kagome still petting his locks of blond hair. He smiled, the last things repeating in his sleep.

_If only it could be like this forever…_

* * *

The next day, Deidara and Kagome found themselves bombarded by the other members of the Akatsuki, handing their information to the leader, and both of them asleep in Kagome's room, a spare bed for Deidara set up, but currently, Deidara and Kagome were sharing the same bed. It was winter and it was cold.

Opening the door by a crack, Itachi eyed the couple in there, giving them a faint smile before closing the door gently and shaking his head. His hand patted a piece of paper in his pocket.

* * *

It was New Years, and right now, Kagome and Deidara were sitting in a tree watching the moon outside. In Kagome's hand was a cup of hot chocolate, and right now, Deidara was making miniatures bombs to detonate outside the safety of the tree, so they exploded as soon as they left the shelter of the leaves and hit the snow falling down from the skies.

Sighing, Kagome leaned her head against Deidara's shoulder. "The sky looks pretty tonight."

"Yeah, un."

As the two sat in silence, the moon hid itself with a cloud as more snow fell. Deidara covered both of them with his large Akatsuki cloak as Kagome snuggled deeper into the offered warmth.

"Just wondering, what was the picture you drew that Itachi-san criticized, un?"

Kagome's face turned beet red as she took a sip of her hot chocolate, so it looked like the steam was hitting her face. She mumbled something Deidara didn't catch.

"I'm sorry, what, un?"

"…A picture of someone…. special to me…"

Looking at Kagome, he accepted the answer and tightened the cloak around them. And satisfied that he didn't question it, Kagome let out a sigh of relief and looked up at Deidara, a slight blush covering her cheeks.

Kagome had fallen in love.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the base, Itachi chuckled at the memory of the pink hair. Even now, his hair still had that reddish tone, but at least it was a dark red tone.

"If only you knew I was laughing at you Deidara…if only you knew what Kagome-chan was drawing."

And rolling around the piece of paper in his finger from the picture he had destroyed long ago, Itachi went into his room, intent on catching up on sleep.

The picture was the profile of a man with blond hair covering 1 eye, in an Akatsuki cloak making a clay bird.

* * *

**Mashin:** Well, that was absolutely terrible. I just randomly put in things, because I couldn't focus on 1 specific thing! That's horrible! Man, I will forever beat myself up at this….

**Naruto:** Well, it could be worse?

**Mashin:** True. And the voice is still coming back next chapter! Anyways, review! I love reviews, even if they are flames! Because then I could just use them for hot chocolate! Which is something I need right now!

**Hiei:** So who's up in your next chapter?

**Mashin:** Well, it's a Kagome and Edward Elric one! So stay tuned! God I sound like a T.V. episode….

_**NOTES:**_

The cloak's buttoned, I think. Most say zipper, but I saw the manga, and there's buttons on Itachi's cloak.

And just a reference, I'm using the Akatsuki BEFORE all the giant secrets come out, like Tobi's identity and such. It makes it harder for me to type, and there are some things I don't' know about, because I'm reading it as a manga, not anime. So there may be thing not there. And Deidara will say 'un' in this, instead of 'yeah'. It's faster for me to type.

**Mashin:** Review!


	11. Chapter 11:Ed and Kagome

**

* * *

Kai:** Hi to all non-insane author (esse) s out there! 

**Kuwabara:** Great, here comes another one.

**Kai:** Hush, silly monkey. Now, whom did Mashin ask me to pair up today? (Looks around through notes) Oh yeah! Ed the shorty and Kagome the girl everyone bends the personality of!

**Ed:** I'M NOT SHORT!

**Kai:** Okay, let me rephrase that: Midget.

**Ed:** Damn you!

**Sango:** I already miss Mashin….

**Sakura:** I know. Now let me start the story already.

* * *

_**Title:**__ Changing the future_

_**Pairing:**__ Kagome and Edward_

_**Summary: **As the dreams haunt his mind, something haunts his body, controlling it. Will Edward and everyone find out what's controlling him before it's too late? It killed them, it might kill her._

_**Song:**__ There really is no one song in mind, but this was done while listening to trance. There will be no lyrics, but I recommend listening to 'Drop' by East Clubbers, and 'Walk Alone' by East clubbers again. There are other songs like 'Eurodancer' but they were only listening to for a few minutes._

_**Notes:**This is darker and more gruesome than what Mashin types, so this is where it would turn T at least. If you're some eight year old somehow on this website on an account and reading this, only read if you'd like. I felt in a destructive mood when writing this._

* * *

**_Disclaimer:_** Me and Mashin own nothing. All things involving the animes/mangas mentioned belong to their rightful owners. Except for the Tsubasa wristband Mashin owns, and the manga books, but that's all. Oh, and the Tsubasa poster she has, that too. And if we somehow bash one of your favorite characters, we apologize, for it is just for mere fun and humor._

* * *

_

"_Why do you continue to search for the stone?"_

"_So me and brother can return to normal again, where we can live a normal life."_

"_There's no such thing as normal. And if you want a normal life, you would have to quit being a state alchemist and meeting people like me."_

"_But-"_

"_You said you wanted a normal life? Then quit being who you are, an alchemist. You quit; you get a normal life. You want a normal life? Stop talking to me."_

"_Ka-"_

"_This is what you wanted."_

_The girl pulled out a small engraved gold locket, a picture of her, the man she was talking to, and a suit of armor in the back. Clenching her fist, the sharp point of the golden heart cut through her skin, and as she gave it back to the man, her blood dripped from the point onto his hand._

"_Goodbye."_

"_Kagome!"

* * *

_

Sweat ran down his face, joining with tears along the way as he brushed his blond bangs out of his eye's way. Ocher eyes widened and looked around frantically, controlling his head as it swiveled back and forth.

Sighing as he soon realized he was alone, he leaned his head back on the pillow. It was another nightmare, of how she was going to leave. They've been coming for weeks now, each ending with the pendant he had given her. Of course, when he had told her about the dreams, she had merely brushed it off and said she would never leave him. How he was too precious.

Combing his tangled hair with his left hand, he glanced down at his right arm and his foot made of metal sticking out from the bed sheets. He both hated it and loved it at the same time. He was declared a 'supernatural being' on first sight for the fake arm and leg, and yet, they saved his life many times. Without them, he wouldn't be an alchemist, and he wouldn't be able to save and help all those people that he did.

Clenching his metal fist, he looked up at the ceiling, deciding it was better for him to try another attempt at sleep.

_I want to be normal…normal and accepted…_

* * *

It had been a week after that. There were no more dreams, but nightmares. They either ended with him being killed by Kagome, or Kagome dying right in front of his eyes, him unable to do anything. He was certain they were a sign, and they slowly teared at his sanity.

He had distanced himself from her, and she and his brother had noticed. Merely thinking it was something not important, they shrugged it off. Until he had lost control against a chimera and killed it senseless, driving his blade though it even after it was dead. Kagome had to go up and hold down the bloody Edward, and he just looked at her with that sadness in his eyes. Immedietly, she had left him go and he had merely laid there in shock.

Everyone was scared at how he had turned out after it all. How he had suddenly changed to that of a homicidal man. They gave him another chance, and he had calmed down. Things were looking back to normal.

But then again, there was never a thing such as normal in the Elric lives.

* * *

"Ed-kun **(1)**, what's on your mind?"

"Huh?"

Kagome and Edward were sitting on a couch, Al right beside Ed.

"What made you act like that?"

"Act like what?" 

Kagome and Al's eyes widened as they looked at him, and he scratched his head like he had no idea whatsoever what they were talking about.

"What are you guys talking about?" 

"You don't remember? You don't remember driving your blade through the chimera, even though it was dead?"

Kagome was looking very concerned while Al was holding his fists in anger, thinking his brother was lying. Ed just shook his head slightly, holding onto his forehead.

"HOW CAN YOU NOT REMEMBER THAT?! How can you say that you don't remember destroying the chimera's body completely! Are you that desperate to avoid the subject, or are you so forgetful that you don't remember it! BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER HOW IT ASKED FOR MERCY IN IT'S EYES, AND YOU JUST STABBED IT OVER AND OVER!"

His voice softened "Can you remember how it looked at you with a bit of humanity in it, how it asked to be saved? Can you remember how it looked like a human in that last moment, how it showed concern and clemency in it's eyes? Can you remember that?"

By the end of it, Al was standing up with angry eyes as Kagome held his arm whispering _'Calm down Al-kun.'_ and Ed merely stared at him.

"I honestly have no idea what you guys are talking about. All I remember was being knocked away from the chimera and seeing black. I thought that I had lost consciousness, because the next thing I saw was Kagome standing over me."

Kagome stared at Ed clenching her fists, looking as if to be in deep concentration. After a few seconds, she stopped."He's telling the truth Al-kun. He really doesn't remember anything."

Al just stood there shocked, his fists loosening until his arms hung limply at his side. Horror was seen in his golden orbs of artificial eyes. "You really can't remember."

"No Al, I already told you. I can't remember anything. But can you guys please tell me what I did?"

Kagome looked at Al and enveloped Ed in a hug of compassion and concern, Al right above them. "There are some things you're better off not knowing Ed-kun, there are some things."

* * *

It had been 2 weeks after that, and Ed was still relentless in demanding that Roy Mustang tell him what he had missed in the incident, why people labeled him as a bloodthirsty man. Even after all the bickering and arguments, Roy refused to tell, until Ed and Kagome were attacked one day.

Roy soon learned that he had probably needed to tell Ed before December 31, right before New Years.

* * *

"_EDWARD ELRIC!"_

_Ed and Kagome turned around to see a chimera. It looked mostly like a crocodile, wearing a torn shirt and shorts, with floppy ears covering it's neck and rings around its nose. (_**2)**

"_I SHALL GET REVENGE FOR MY KIN!"_

_And almost immedietly, the chimera had started to attack, lunging forward with its claws._

_Dodging to the left in time, Ed clapped his hands and made a barrier of cement and concrete, yellow flashes still surrounding it as the after-effects of transmutation as the chimera's claws hit the concrete dead on. Thinking they were safe, Ed grabbed Kagome's arm and started to lead her away. Until the chimera's other hand destroyed the wall. Damn._

_Running faster, he transmuted another wall-which the chimera just destroyed as well, but it bought them some time. Hiding in an alley, he sighed, as Kagome stood beside him in the narrow passage full of shadows._

_Looking out of the alley, he didn't see the chimera, and assumed that it had run off, pressed himself against the cold wall. However, no matter how keen and alert he was, he didn't notice the chimera right besides him, claw ready to dig deep into his chest and rip out his throat. Until Kagome yelled and suddenly ran in front of him._

_Ed felt someone press himself or herself against him, as he smelt something coppery, and felt in front of him, only to feel black hair and blood. The blood was what made him snap. The blood was all over the place, and Kagome was looking at him with eyes of fading life._

_That was it. Somewhere deep inside, he had snapped. Gently laying Kagome down on a transmutated wall so that it let her sit, he had grabbed the chimera's hand and transformed his arm into a blade. The exact same blade that had killed the other chimera._

_Screams from the chimera were heard as blood enveloped the alley and it's surrounding. After a few minutes, Ed was found a few blocks away carrying an unconscious Kagome. Fortunately, her wound didn't go that deep, so he was able to keep her alive until he ran into Riza._

_Immedietly asking what had happened, Ed's eyes had turned from his deep red eyes, to his normal amber ones. Noting this, Riza had walked to where Kagome's blood first started, only to gasp and call a squad over._

_Hours later, the block was cut off, and Roy was staring at the stab wounds in the chimera's body._

"He did it again. Edward did this."

_That was what nobody wanted to hear as Roy bowed his head, not noticing how Riza's eyes widened in shock and how she had grabbed a spare truck and drove off.

* * *

_

The squad and Roy had decided to not tell about it to the higher-ups, but decided to say that the chimera had attacked Ed and Kagome, hurt Kagome, and Ed had acted out of self-defense, accidentally killing it. But that was getting old, and the higher-ups were suspicious now.

Nobody had heard from Riza after that incident, until a few days after Kagome was released out of the military's health care and back in Edward's guardianship.

Riza's appearance was in the shape of a phone call from an outside line, in case the military was eavesdropping.

"_Riza Hawkeye speaking, can I help you?"_

"Riza, it's Roy. Where the hell have you been over the week?"

"_Wow. So nice to see you care Colonel." _You could feel the sarcasm through the telephone line.

"Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, you full know what I meant! What have you been doing?"

_"Researching and looking up information about anything that can control a human being, and the host will have no memory of said thing controlling it."_

Roy's brain clicked into gear as he fit the pieces together. "You think Edward Elric is being controlled by said thing."

_"5 points to the Colonel. Yes, and I found information."_

"Is there any way for me to meet you in person and discuss this?"

It was silent on the other end for a while.

_"Meet me at Edward's house in an hour. If you need to bring somebody, make sure you can trust him or her and he or she know about this. You may only bring one person Colonel."_

And after that, Riza hung up. Sighing, he put the telephone back in the receiver. Better to go alone. And guessing by Riza's tone, it was pretty important. So no pevertedness.

* * *

Everyone was in the Elric's temporary living room. Ed and Al were beside Kagome on one couch, Ed on her left, and Roy and Riza were on the other couch. It was silent for a few seconds, until Ed's dry throat managed to make a sound. He had a bad feeling about this.

"So will someone explain to me what this is all about, and why Riza locked herself in our library?"

Roy looked at Riza. "You didn't tell him?"

"That's your job sir."

Roy grew an anger mark.

Scratching his head, Ed leaned his arm on the pillow behind him. "So can somebody explain everything to me? Like how people are concerned that I blacked out during a Chimera fight?"

Riza's expression turned grim, and Kagome followed her line of sight to the bunch of papers in her hand.

"Edward Elric, FullMetal Alchemist, this is a future note for you until we finally get our sources right: You are not allowed to participate in anymore battles, nor are you allowed to use alchemy."

A metal fist banged on the table separating the two couches as Kagome tried to help Ed calm down. "What the hell are you saying Mustang?!"

"Exactly what I mean. I just looked through these-" He said, pulling out a copy of the notes Riza was holding, "And you need to read the first paragraph right now to understand.

Grabbing the 1st page, Ed brought it to his eyes as Al looked behind him. Kagome was fiddling with her thumbs beside the brothers. As soon as Ed finished reading the paragraph, his eyes turned blank with horror and his fingers tightened their grip on the paper.

"-As said in the sentence before, this type of youkai can erase the memories of the encounter in the host's body, so the host will take the blame for its actions…you think a youkai is controlling me when I fight chimera?"

Kagome picked up some tea from the table. "No. We know. Remember how I told you that I'm a miko?"

Ed and Al nodded while Roy looked up with curiosity. "A miko?"

"Yes. Part of the reason I'm here is because of my quest as a miko. Anyways, back on track. Mikos can sense demons. That's why I let go of Ed-kun during the fight against the first Chimera."

Al looked up at the ceiling with a sigh. "I think I'm starting to get it now."

"I would too, if someone explained to me what happened when I spaced out!"

Kagome sighed. "As I said before Ed-kun, there are some things better left unsaid."

"But how does this tie in with me not using alchemy?"

"Read the second paragraph."

Ed picked up the paper again, reading through the second paragraph as Al looked from above him again. "-This type of youkai is called a Nagori-Gomu **(3)**, roughly translated to 'Memory Eraser' from Japanese to English. The Nagori-Gomu is attracted to humans with abnormal energy or powers, and will inhabit their bodies in a battle. Since the Nagori-Gomu is a battle creature, they cannot inhabit a host's body outside of battle. Wait, you're saying this thing is taking over me when I black out?"

"Yes, that's exactly what we're saying Ed-kun."

Ed sat down abruptly as he held his head. "So somewhere out there, there's a Nagori-Gomu taking over me when I fight against Chimera."

"Yes, and you use alchemy when fighting. That's what the Nagori-Gomu is attracted to."

Ed just stared at the ground for a few seconds, Kagome rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"Is there any way to find out where it is?"

"There's no need."

Ed looked up to see Riza holding up a jar, with a little creature in there jumping up and down. It looked like a miniature human frog, holding a brown jar with green lining on it. The lining looked like slime.

"Kagome here managed to catch if a few hours ago, shrinking it with her powers and we stuck it in this jar. Apparently, it's been near your pocket watch the whole time Edward."

Ed just stared at it. "That's what's been controlling me?"

"Yup. Isn't it ugly!"

Ed's eye twitched as he poked the jar, Riza immedietly pulling it away from him.

"We don't know if its powers can still work while being captured, so you need to be careful."

Nodding, he dropped his finger as Kagome tapped the glass.

_"Don't do that, lowly human!"_

Everyone but Kagome gasped at how it was able to talk in the human language as Kagome merely huffed. "Well, this 'lowly' human just captured you. Besides, you're not that strong."

The creature gasped and pulled out…. dust from the jar. _"I could take over your body in an instant with this! I am no ordinary Nagori-Gomu! I can control humans out of battle!"_

Kagome twitched as she shook the bottle, making whatever in it move around.

After a few seconds, everyone got out of their shock and started staring at the thing.

"Well, I think that's enough for a day. Roy and Riza, you're free to stay here if you'd like."

Roy merely shook his head and pulled on Riza's hand. "I'd like to take up the offer, but this lady here has a lot of work waiting at the headquarters. I'll see you three tomorrow."

And with a pull of his cloak and a protest from Riza, the duo left for the office.

Sweat dropping, Kagome put the jar on a table nearby as she yawned. "Well, I'm tired. Time to hit the sack."

Nodding, Al and Ed moved to the two couches and laid down on them, ready to sleep, while Kagome went to do her hygiene routine before going to sleep.

* * *

Ed was woken up by someone touching his shoulder. Slowly opening his eye, he came face to face with a tired Kagome. "Kagome? What time is it?"

Kagome's face turned red as she looked down at the couch. "Um…Ed-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight? In case of the nightmares?"

A 'slight' blush covered his face as he nodded, moving over a bit for Kagome to fit on the couch. Surprisingly, they both fit without anyone falling off.

Sighing, Kagome snuggled into Ed's arm as she closed her eyes and her breathing slowed down. She felt safe in his presence, safer than with Inuyasha. It felt good to be safe again.

Ed's eyes drooped as he wrapped one arm around her waist, to make sure she didn't fall off.

Al peered at the two, smiling softly and closing his eyes, pretending to sleep.

However, nobody noticed how the Nagori-Gomu got out of its jar, pulled out a secret vial of blue powder, and sprinkled it all over Ed and Kagome.

"This powder will make your deepest nightmares come true…for a price paid by you…"

And with that, the creature disappeared.

* * *

It was now morning, and Al had gone out to get some stuff for them. Kagome had finished changing into a baggy pants and a sleeveless shirt. Ed was in his usual clothing, although his coat was a bit tattered.

He didn't know how it turned to this, how he and Kagome had started arguing. But he thought it had something to do with the stone again.

"Why do you continue to search for the stone?" Kagome's voice was lower than her usual level now.

"So me and brother can return to normal again, where we can live a normal life." But from what he had seen, was it worth it?

"There's no such thing as normal. And if you want a normal life, you would have to quit being a state alchemist and meeting people like me." He let the words she said flow into his mind. Was being normal worth it? Just to lose everyone he met?

Everything going on felt like Déjà vu. Where had all this stuff happened?

"But-"

"You said you wanted a normal life? Then quit being who you are, an alchemist. You quit; you get a normal life. You want a normal life? Stop talking to me." No, she got it all wrong!

Another flash in his mind.

* * *

_She ran out the building, running onto the street as she tried desperately to get away from the man she loved. Ed called from the door of the place, desperately trying to get her back. She was in the middle of the road when she looked back, no cars on the road. Except for the one heading straight for her. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she looked at him with eyes of regret and sadness.

* * *

_

"Ka-"

"This is what you wanted."

She pulled out a small-engraved golden locket, with a picture of her and Ed in it hugging. He remembered that picture. It was the picture they had gotten when Al had gotten a camera for them. When he had confessed his love to her. He remembered that clearly. The camera was still in Kagome's room, sitting there. There was silver lining on the locket, and it was shaped as a heart, with the sharp end poking Kagome's palm. Blood dripped onto the locket as she put it in his hand, the blood flowing onto his fingers. Now he remembered where this was from. His dream. His dream was coming to life.

One more flash.

* * *

_The car didn't stop; it hit her at 70 miles per hour, as her limp body flew up ten feet into the air. She landed with a crunch on the ground as the car just kept on speeding. Immedietly, people crowded around her, as he immedietly identified one face as Al._

_Al walked up to him, poking his chest. __**"Are you willing to let her die? To end her life like this?"**_

_That didn't sound like Al's voice. It was gruffer and a deeper tone, with a sense of anger behind the words._

"_Of course not!"_

'_Al' smirked. __**"Then save her. You have the control to change this. It's not too late. But it you don't do anything in the next five seconds, it will be too late, and you'll find yourself regretting everything that's happened."**_

_The images around him started to fade as he cried out to the figure. "Wait! Who are you?"_

_The figure smirked, changing from Al's identity to a totally different one. It looked like the figure was in a red outfit, with long pale silver hair and sharp gold eyes. Two fluffy ears were on top of his head, with claws instead of fingernails. Ed wondered it he was a chimera._

"**Do not mention me to her. It's too early for her. But my name is Inuyasha, and I hope you have a good life with her. Don't' let her go, unlike what I did."**

_And with that, the figure faded.

* * *

_

"Goodbye." Ed snapped out of his trance to see Kagome at the door, opening it. _Its not too late _was what pounded into his head as he rushed forward, slamming the door and facing her.

"Kagome!"

She looked into his eyes and flinched. His eyes showed determination and sorrow.

Immedietly, she was engulfed in strong, safe arms. The powder around them faded to nothing as he continued to hug him.

"Please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry; I'm sorry, just don't leave. Please."

Kagome's eyes widened as she listened to Ed beg over and over, saying different things to make her stay. As the happiness in her eyes came back to life, she smiled and embraced him.

"I'll stay Ed. Just don't turn normal."

Ed merely nodded as they stayed there, both shedding tears of happiness and with the fact they almost lost who they wanted.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in Heaven, Inuyasha was giving the Nagori-Gomu hell. The Nagori-Gomu had been run over by the car outside, which Inuyasha had 'accidentally' got moving.

* * *

**Kai:** This was actually pretty fun to write. But just to tell you guys. I do not share this account with Mashin, no do I have my own. My sister has one, but I don't. I merely email the plot and anything I think she should at to her. Okay?

Notes at the bottom. And Mashin told me to say this: Review Dammit! Or I'll stuff some random male characters in a basement, and you'll never see them again! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Yusuke:** (Sweat drop) And when did your mom drop you on the head.

**Kai:** Never. She threw me.

* * *

**Notes:**

**(1) Kagome will be the only one here that uses Japanese honorifics, because she's the only one from Japan, and people in the FullMetal Alchemist world don't know Japanese honorifics. And if Kagome were to teach them all, I'm pretty sure people like Havoc won't remember it anyways.**

**If you need a picture, please search up Ba'Gaman (Sp?) From FFXII. It can be from either FFXII: Revenant Wings, or FFXII. But just see him with sharper teeth, no staff, and bigger claws.**

**(3) There really is no history of a youkai called by this, but I needed a name, since the idea was 'Memory stealer'. But the websites I used didn't have the word 'stealer', so I used eraser. And I needed to call it that because Microsoft doesn't accept Kanji or anything other than English symbols. Mashin's computer is racist...**


	12. Chapter 12:Kurama and Kagome

**Mashin:** I'm back from hell! How was Kaisen?

**Deidara:** Do you like making us deal with insane people, yeah?

**Mashin:** It's fun.

**Sakura:** So who's up now?

**Mashin: **(Looks through list.) Pretty boy, you're up! (Points to Kurama)

**Kurama:** ….WTF?!

**Mashin:** It's supposed to be Sesshomaru right now, but I found a better idea that fit both Kurama and the song. So sorry Sesshomaru, but you're going to have to wait.

**Sesshomaru:** Damn.

**Mashin:** Anyways, I was going to make this a parody of over-used plots, but I decided against it. I've had waaay too much fun this month. And this is probably the first time that listening to a song gave me a plot. I'm quite satisfied with this chapter. Tell me what you guys think via Review!

By the way, you know how I said chapter 12 and 13 would have a special guest? Well, that special guest is really busy, so until they're free and able to type, we'll just keep up with the usual routine.

* * *

_**Title:**__ Fly through the times: A lending hand._

_**Pairing:**__ Kagome and Kurama._

_**Summary:**__ Fairytales aren't supposed to come true. The world is supposed to be cold. But 2 people meeting by chance might change this as the spark of love grows stronger, and you can't help but wonder if Fairytales do come true._

_**Song:**__ Once upon a broken heart, by the Beu Sisters._

_**Notes:**__ I so recommend listening to the song while reading this.

* * *

_

**Ibiki:** -Sigh- I'm back, and I'm stuck doing disclaimers again. Mashin owns nothing; neither does anyone else she knows. And she only owns what she rightfully buys legally.

* * *

**_Once upon a broken heart  
I was walking alone in the dark  
Looking for a way to start again  
what I wouldn't give for a friend_**

_There was no love in my life  
there was no light in my eyes  
all the tears that I had cried and cried  
Seemed like they'd never end_

* * *

Leather shoes scraped against the concrete sidewalk as the owner refused to pick up their feet. Bangs covered the eyes as the green and white sailor uniform swayed in the slight wind blowing around the person, now identified as a girl. She brushed some hair out of her face as her brown eyes scanned the horizon, and went back to the ground in front of her as she turned to a small park. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she stared blankly out in front of her. 

_Why did that happen…Why me…_

Reaching a small lake secluded from the harsh smokes and fumes of Modern Tokyo, she took off her socks and shoes and laid them nearby, where she could easily reach them.

Dipping a toe in the water, she looked down to come face to face with equally sorrowed eyes and drooping shoulders. The slight frown in the water turned into a scowl as a hand quickly splashed the water roughly, causing ripples to dance across the surface of the pale water. The koi fish inside of the pond moved with the ripples, their fins flapping and dancing to their own little tune.

It all went unnoticed by her as she dumped her bag on the ground with a slight thump, her legs enveloped by piercing cold water that enveloped her knees.

Resting her forehead on her damp knees, she curled up with her toes in the water, no sound made except for the drops falling from her feet and the sound of the fish moving around in the water.

It was silent, the moon shining out from the canopy of trees surrounding her. Moonlight came in little dots and shapes as the shadows threatened to envelope it and never let it go. How she wished it was like that with her.

Because apparently, she was not supposed to have a happy ending. At least the way she saw it. Inuyasha made sure of that, chasing off every single damn male and always talking about Kikyou.

It just seemed like love wasn't for her.

* * *

_And I never believed fairytales came true  
But now I know that they really do  
Now that I found you, now that I'm here with you  
Just look at the sunshine,_

_**And you Showed me a world  
that I'd never seen  
I woke up and fell into this dream  
Happily ever after just took time  
Once upon this broken heart of mine **_

_**

* * *

**_His emerald eyes scanned over everything in his path, while his bleeding arm held its limp partner. Blowing scorching crimson locks out of his eye's path, little droplets of blood continued to fall with every step he took, every breath of air he inhaled. 

His school uniform was damaged beyond repair. How that demon had managed to get past his defenses, he will never know. Because currently, it was a pile of guts and body pieces lying in a clearing somewhere in Makai.

Damn that Renkai Prince for making him do the mission, especially since he was going through problems.

His head hurt-probably from a blow to the head- and his feet were burning with injuries. The whip of razor-sharp thorns in his limp arm dragged onto the dirt-ridden path to a small lake, where he would probably recuperate and heal himself before going back to Renkai.

Either way, it was going to take a while for him to return to his place.

Sighing, he brushed away a stray twig that was tempted to tangle his already messed up hair even more. Mou, the world was against him today.

_She knows…oh God she knows…_

He could slightly remember how his mother had figured out he was a demon, how she had just stood there with shock and horror in her eyes as she watched as her seemingly innocent son had transformed into a silver kitsune thief right in front of her eyes and kill a demon with one flick of his wrist and a slight movement from his whip. He had run away like a coward then, afraid to meet the truth-his mother knew, and didn't accept him.

Of course, he didn't know if she really didn't accept him. He had left too early to find out. But he had a pretty good idea.

Moving a brush out of the way of his tired-as-hell feet, his shoes hit muddy grass as his eyes widened. He should have felt that someone was there!

Standing in front of him was a girl, barely taller than him, and around the same age. Her tangled black hair spread out across her back, as the fabric stretched to her arm covering her curled up legs, socks and shoes a few feet away from her, with a yellow bag a slight distance from her. Her clothing was slightly tattered and muddy, and she didn't seem to notice him-yet.

* * *

How long would they have to run, to continue lying? How long would they have to alter memories, because of who they were? How long would it last, before they broke forever? _**

* * *

**_

_**Long ago and far away  
I could never dream of the day  
that your love would come my way and stay  
and sweep me away and I **_

**_

* * *

_**Walking towards the lake, he didn't notice the dry twig in his path, or how he stepped on it, until it cracked and the noise seemed to echo across the clearing. The girl's head whipped around fast to face him. Damn. 

For a few seconds, they stared at each other, brown clashing with blue, as the wind played with their hair. The leaves around them rustled with the gust, as the small fireflies floated up into the air, never seeming to land. Seconds, then minutes passed between the two, until Kagome got up and dried her feet as best she could.

Immedietly, he pulled out his shock._ "Wait! Who are you?"_

The girl looked at him blankly. _"I think the question is: Who are you? You will have the make the choice sooner or later, youkai-sama. You will have to confront her later."_

He was shocked there for a moment, merely standing there with his arm limp and slightly dried blood all over his uniform. _"But-how? How did you know?"_

The girl smiled as she came closer, reaching for his arm. And as soon as her shaking hands came into contact with his bloody arm, his emerald eyes widened as faint pink light enveloped both his arm and her hand. He knew even before her face scrunched together in concentration, before the wounds and his broken arm started to mend together as the healing process sped up.

_"You're a miko, aren't you?"_

Smiling, the girl let her hand linger on his arm for a few more seconds as she looked up to face him._ "Yes, I am. But please don't be afraid, I only purify what comes after my life, or hurts others. Like you, I've had to hide who I am."_

Kurama's mind went into action as she talked, healing his arm along the way. So she's had to hide herself too? He never thought somebody other than the youkai would have to hide their natures.

Slightly relaxing, he let his shoulders sag slightly as she put her hand on the other arm, healing it like the other one. He took a look at his once-broken arm. It was slightly throbbing-she probably couldn't heal it completely, as that was hard- and the cuts and gashes were all healed, leaving only slight areas of cut skin and a few little marks that would probably leave in the morning.

_"But being a miko doesn't explain how you were able to say what you did. You don't even know me."_

The girl's hand faltered, causing her to slightly curse under her breath and the healing to take a few seconds longer. As soon as it was finished, her right hand reached for his face, until it was cupping his cheek, with no lights on her hand now.

Kurama overlooked things in his mind. No searing pain on his face when she touched him, no blood rolling down from his head.

_"I don't have any injuries there."_

_"I know. It's your emotional pain I'm seeing. I can read your eyes, how they scream despair and betrayal, though not the usual betrayal. They scream of one who found out a secret. And guessing by your nature as a Kitsune and how your aura is flashing out every once in a while, I guessed it was someone precious, like a mother."_

His eyes widened slightly, then closed for a moment as he let the girl's warmth from her fingertips slowly enter into his skin, liking how his damp, cold skin heated up and turned his usual color again. His mind continued to buzz, about how someone found out about his so quickly in less than five minutes. Faster than anybody ever did. Maybe this miko was different from everybody else.

_"You must be an extraordinary miko then."_

The girl shook her head as she let her hand fall to her side, instantly missing the slight warmth the cheek gave.

_"No. It's just something called experience."_

And with that, the girl turned around slowly and went for her socks and shoes, picking up her forgotten bag on the way.

For some reason, Kurama found himself wanting her to stay there, so they could learn more about eachother. Wait, was he feeling for a girl?

_"Wait!"_

The girl turned around to see the male with his mouth slightly open, one arm holding a rose-which used to be his whip-, and his eyes shining with affection and acceptance.

_"What's your name, wonderful miko-sama?"_

Smiling her own special smile, she let her eyes twinkle with contentment. _"My name is Higurashi Kagome. What is yours, youkai-sama?"_

Realizing she was putting her last name first, he decided. Was he going to use his demon or human name?

_"Kurama Youko, but you may call me Kurama, or Minamino Shuichi."_

Kagome smiled as she turned around to leave. _"It was a pleasure meeting you Kurama-san, I do hope to meet you again."_

Kurama smiled his own smile. _"Same to you Kagome-san."_

And with that, she left, as he suddenly realized they would probably never meet again. But it was nice to meet someone like that. As he walked to the lake to wash the blood off, he hoped there were more people like her in the world. Especially in a world like this.

* * *

As Kagome walked home, something in her mind clicked as she faltered for a second. She would probably never see him again. She would never see someone who would share her pain. 

Shaking her head, she continued in her way, her feet quickening their pace. He probably wouldn't remember me anyway.

She did not notice how a small rose bud blossomed where she once stood, blood-red petals blooming in the night. Or how the fireflies all gather around the stem of the rose, letting any passerby think of it as eternal and heavenly. One by one, the fireflies all landed on the rose, going out as they did.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Never believed fairytales came true  
but now I know that they really do  
Now that I found you, now that I'm here with you  
Just look at the sunshine, **_

_**And you **__**Showed me a world  
That I'd never seen  
I woke up and fell into this dream  
Happily ever after just took time  
Once upon this broken heart of mine **_

**_

* * *

_**It had been 2 weeks. 2 weeks after he had met Kagome Higurashi. He had spent 2 hours at the lake, cleaning up and thinking over things, before going back to his place, where he came face to face with a concerned Shiori Minamino. As soon as he had walked through the front door, she had engulfed him in a bone-crushing hug, immedietly demanding why he didn't tell her. _**

* * *

**"Why Shuichi? Why didn't you tell me?"_

_Kurama had gotten out of his shock and started rubbing soothing circles on her back. "There were people after me…my reputation to be exact. I would have been putting everyone I knew in danger if I had told you, and others. I needed you to be safe, from the demons and bounty hunters after me. Do you understand why I did not tell you?"_

_Shiori merely nodded as she let them sit on the couch, coming back 3 minutes after she left with two cups of tea._

_"The boys you hang out with…Yusuke was one, I think…who were they?"_

_Kurama merely smiled. "Perceptive as ever, it must be a motherly instinct. Me, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei are the Reikai Tantei."_

_" 'Spirit Detectives'? I don't get this."_

_Kurama chuckled. "I'll explain at the beginning. Starting with Youko Kurama."_

_"Youko Kurama?"_

_He just smiled, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Let me explain. Youko Kurama is the kitsune who inhabits me, my 'past' life, if you will. Youko Kurama was a thief-"_

_"Tell Youko Kurama he better not start stealing here, or he's not welcome." Shiori said, pointing a finger at Kurama's chest as she looked at him straight in the eye._

_"No Mother, Youko hasn't stolen in Ningenkai for as long as he has been here…" She didn't need to know about the Forlong hope._

_And with that, he started off his tale of life, leaving a few things out that she didn't need to know, like Karasu. _

_**

* * *

**_

She had accepted him, and he was glad. But he wouldn't have been able to gather his courage and return home without the help of that lady he had met. She had saved his life, and his mind.

And so, we meet with Kurama now, hiding in a tree near the school as fangirls rush by in a stampede. Sighing in relief as the last of them ran past his tree, he climbed out slowly and headed for his home. And upon home, he came face to face with a grinning mother. Sometimes he wondered if his mother was a kitsune in disguise.

_"Ah, Shuichi. I was wondering when you would get home. Were you late because of the fangirls again?"_

At the memory of the fangirls 5 minutes ago, he cringed. Who knew high school girls who had no clue about demons would be as scary as a S-class without a brain? They're demons in disguise, he continued in his mind. Demons in disguise!

Chuckling at the expression of horror on her son's face, Shiori put the teacup she was using onto the coffee table in front of her. _"I have news from your employer, Koenma-sama."_

Kurama groaned. Great, another mission. And he had just gotten one yesterday! And this morning! Granted, he may be holding a demon, but he did not liked to be woken up at around 3AM and chasing a shadow youkai around Tokyo for 2 hours after that.

Giggling again at her son's reaction, Shiori stared at him straight in the eye._ "He said you are to investigate a shrine about 4 blocks from here, it's the Higurashi shrine."_

Emerald eyes widened as flashes appeared in his mind's eye.

_

* * *

"What's your name, wonderful miko-sama?" _

_Smiling her own special smile, she let her eyes twinkle with contentment. "My name is Higurashi Kagome. What is yours, youkai-sama?"_

_Realizing she was putting her last name first, he decided. Was he going to use his demon or human name?_

_"Kurama Youko, but you may call me Kurama, or Minamino Shuichi." _

_

* * *

_

Seconds later found Kurama clutching his head with one hand and the other supporting him on the couch's frame. Shiori was frantically checking over him to see if he was alright.

_"I'm all right mother, just memories coming up."_ He said after a few seconds of regaining his senses and breath.

Nodding, his mother backed off. _"Youko-san's memories?"_

_"No. My own."_

Somehow, those words burned into his skin, staying in his mind for the rest of his life.

He was finally going to meet someone who shared his pain. Someone who could accept him for who he was.

_**

* * *

**_

_**This is the way a fairytale feels  
This is the way I know it's real  
'Cause this is the way a broken heart heals **_

**_

* * *

_**Brown eyes opened from their prison behind eyelids as the own sat up from her spot on the ground in front of the Goshiboku. Her eyes scanned the shrine grounds, but saw nothing except for the usual greenery, the house, and the shed to the well. 

Upon her eyes landing on the shed, small little tears gathered up in her eyes, until she brought up her sleeve and brushed them away. Now wasn't the time to cry or mourn. She had plenty of time to do that later. But it still hurt, a small rock thrown at her heart, whenever she saw it. Or anything that reminded her of them.

Realizing that her senses were saying that someone was coming up, she pushed the broom away somewhere else and hid her bow and arrows behind the Goshiboku. The aura coming up screamed both demon and human at the same time, neither fighting nor mixed.

Upon reading this aura, her mind instantly went back to a gorgeous guy she had met 2 weeks ago in the park at the lake…. and immedietly, it remembered how the guy had flaming red hair and piercing emerald eyes, much like the man coming up at that moment. Thinking that it couldn't be him, her eyes closed for a second and her shoulders drooped. Ah, she was wrong.

Opening her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. Wow. He looked hotter when fully healed.

Shaking her head inwardly, she yelled at herself. _No! Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts Kagome! Not thoughts to be thought by a miko! Bad thoughts!_

She was brought out of her thinking by a chuckle. Opening her eyes, she faced the man now hiding his chuckle behind his hand politely, staring at him with humor in his eyes. _"It's a pleasure to meet you again Miss Higurashi."_

Kagome blushed, shaking hands with him. _"It's a pleasure to meet you too Minamino-san."_

_"Call me Kurama."_

_"Call me Kagome."_

Kurama chuckled as they released hands, his gaze turning to her eyes. The eyes and words that seemed to help him overcome the greatest challenge of his life so far.

Kagome just continued to stare at him like a lovesick schoolgirl as the wind played around them, leaves from the Goshiboku flying in the wind's current.

Wow. He just realized how her eyes would flicker with life, and how her lips would twitch slightly, showing a small smile.

Suddenly realizing what he was doing, Kurama coughed slightly, causing both of them to snap out of their trance. _"Um, what brings you here Kurama?"_ was the only logical thing Kagome could get out at the moment.

Blushing as he thought for a moment why he was there, he heard Youko laughing in his mind.

_"I was sent here by my boss to investigate energy surges, but I'm guessing you're the cause of it, am I right?"_

Kagome's cheeks grew a little hotter as she turned her head to the side, not noticing how Kurama's eyes twinkled with mirth and how his hair grew lighter in color for a second-almost like silver. Was she seeing things?_ "Err, I can explain."_

_"Sure you can."_

_"Oh, I can. You wanna bet?"_

Kurama merely let out a laugh._ "I'll pass on that. So would you care to explain, none the less?"_

Her cheeks grew hotter as she nodded. She did not just embarrass herself in front of someone like him. _"Err, would you like for me to explain to your employer as well?"_

Kurama's eyes widened for a moment, as he remembered his forgotten boss. Youko was roaring with laughter at the way he was acting deep in his mind. Hey, it wasn't everyday our dear little Kurama forgets something like his boss. Especially over a girl, no matter how special they were.

Coughing slightly, he nodded as he pulled out a communicator, to contact Botan and get them to Koenma's office.

_**

* * *

**_

_**And I never believed fairytales came true  
But now I know that they really do  
Now that I found you, now that I'm here with you  
Just look at the sunshine, **_

_**And you**__**Showed me a world  
that I'd never seen  
I woke up and fell into this dream  
Happily ever after just took time  
once upon this broken heart of mine**_

_**Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh **_

**_

* * *

_**It was a few hours after the duo had left for Renkai. Koenma had given Kagome an explanation about the three worlds, and in return, she had explained about the well and how she was traveling back and forth between times. Normally, people would have been forbidden from time traveling any more, but she had just gotten off with a small warning. 

Right now, they were in front of the Goshiboku, watching the sunset in front of the shrine as the slightly warm wind blew around them. They sat on a small patch of grass growing around them, with Kagome's bow and arrows lying a few feet away from them. All in all, if it weren't for the fact that they had only met twice, you would have thought they were a couple.

Holding back a yawn, Kagome leaned her head against Kurama's shoulder, her eyes drooping as her breath slowed. Pretty soon, she was asleep with a death grip on one of Kurama's locks of red hair.

Sighing as he finished trying to get out of her grip for the 10th time, Kurama merely sat there, his own eyes threatening to close. With a slight yawn, he was asleep, out like a light. However, sleep didn't get rid of the slight blush on his face. The wind twirled around them as a blessing, enveloping them in warm air as a blanket.

And as both slept, the small spark of love grew, soon to turn into an inferno. Who knew Fairytales do come true.

**_

* * *

_xX **_Owari **

* * *

**_

**Mashin:** I know, I know, the ending sucked. But I like making pairings end pretty small. I personally don't believe in love appearing after what? 2 meetings between the people? Get a grip on reality.

**Naruto:** Someone's pissy.

**Kagome:** Hush Naruto, she's kinda PMSing right now. Something to do with not being able to meet her boyfriend over the month.

**Mashin:** I can hear you guys. Anyways, please review! I live off them. As for information about my other stories, let me bold it to make sure you can understand it.

_**

* * *

A lot of things will be on hold for a while, so yeah. Don't expect much updates and stuff. The Naruto story will be on hold for a VERY long time, until I decide how to continue it. **_

_**As for that, I'm going through emotional pain, so stuff might be angsty and dark for a while. **_

_**

* * *

**_

**Mashin:** Thanks for reading that! And stay tuned for more. And remember, you can request!


	13. Chapter 13:Train and Kagome

**Mashin:** Because I actually bothered to kick the characters out of my place for a while, I'm now alone. Again. –Sighs-

Anyways, it's a Train and Kagome, from Black Cat. The plot's pretty confusing for a while, well, for me. And I'm talking about the manga; I have no idea what the heck they're talking about in Volume 4-6.

Enjoy!

Pfft, think of this as a valentine's gift. A crappy one.

* * *

_**Title: **Angel High on Wings._

_**Pairing:**_ _Train/Kagome_

_**Summary:**__ To embrace the Past, to continue to live in it, day by day. To continue watching those already lost die in your dreams, and wake up with the knowledge that they will never come back. Spirits may remain, but they will never become living flesh. Train Heartnet mulls over what is lost, as he gets a second chance to get revenge. Look out, 'cause the Black Cat is back._

_**Word Count: 4198**_

_**Song:**_ _Angel's song, by Ayumi Hamasaki_

_**Notes:**_ The song's Japanese, again, and this time, I'm not putting up English translations. PM me if you want the lyrics. It's a pretty good song, listen to it when you're reading if you want.

And Kagome never went to the Feudal Era in this one. She was with Train ever since birth, and continues to. She just happened to not be there when Train's parents were murdered. Remember people, it's FAN-FICTION.

* * *

_**Hitoribocchi nanka ja nainda to**_

_**Yoru ni nigekonde iikikaseta**_

_**Kekkyoku sore wa jibun no kodoku o**_

_**Hinikini ukibori ni shiteku dake data

* * *

**_

Even when the world seemed to go against him, she could help him out of it.

Even when he was tired, lonely, and depressed, she helped through everything and stayed with him.

Even when he went on life-and-death missions, she went with him and made sure he was never injured.

Even when she was dead and he was alive, she continued to watch over him, as a spirit giving shelter and comfort.

Train Heartnet wondered if anyone knew of her.

* * *

_It was 3 o' clock in the morning, and everyone in the apartment was asleep._

_Except for two 10 year olds, one a boy and one a girl._

_The boy had dark brown hair with yellow cat-like eyes. He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt that seemed to be too big for him, as it kept falling off his shoulder. He wore black shorts and whitish shoes. Of course, you couldn't see the white, because there was too much mud. He was wearing a bell collar on his neck, and chugging down a bottle of milk._

_The girl was wearing a dark blue long-sleeved sundress, with black shorts under it with blue running sandals. She had a bell charm on her wrist, which was on top of her right finger-free glove. Her left hand was bare, no glove in sight. The girl had black hair with a slightly blue highlight, and brown eyes slowly drooping._

_The boy looked at the girl slightly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Gome-chan, maybe you should sleep. You've already taken over both our rounds for the past two nights."_

_The moon continued to shine through the window they were sitting under, the girl's eyes drooping even farther as she stopped a yawn halfway. "Nah, I'll stay up."_

_The boy frowned. Putting the milk bottle down, he picked himself off the ground and dusted off his shorts, his movements making the wooden floor squeak as he moved around the room, to the closet._

"_Sleep Kagome-chan, you need it."_

_Smiling, the girl now identified as Kagome looked to her left, where the boy was rummaging through a closet, pulling out two furry blue blankets, and two fluffy white pillows. "Train-kun, you worry too much."_

_Smiling softly, Train made his way back to Kagome, covering both of them with the blankets, and putting the pillows behind their heads. "Yeah, but in this world we live in, we need to be."_

_And as Kagome's eyes slowly fell, she let out a smile. "Don't worry Train-kun, we'll be okay soon…"_

_Train looked out the window once more, watching someone get mugged from below as the victim screamed for help, never receiving an answer, as they were beat. "Yeah. Soon."

* * *

_

_**Kensou kara hanareta kaerimichi**_

_**Itsumo to nani mo kawaranai noni**_

_**Kurikaeshiteku noka to omottara**_

_**Kyuu ni namida ga komiagete kita**_

_**Tayorinakute nasakenakute**_

_**Fuan de samishikute**_

_**Koe ni naranai koe de**_

_**Nukimori o hoshigatta

* * *

**_

"_Train Heartnet. I presume you go by the name Train?"_

_A 13-year old Train Heartnet sat at a highly detailed wooden table, sitting on a high chair as his legs dangled, the feet never touching the ground as he glared at the figure on the other side of the table, a small light dangling from the ceiling. As the lamp moved about, so did the light on the table, swinging back and forth. It looked like an interrogation room from those television shows. _

_He was still wearing the shirt and shorts, but now he was in dark blue running sandals, and his hair was slightly combed. Well, at least it wasn't in the way of his eyes._

_The figure paid no attention to the glare he was receiving from the tiny 13-year old, as he finished off his cigar and put it out in the ashtray besides him. "Not that talkative, are you? Any reasons why?"_

_Train's mouth turned into a grim line as his hold on the edge of the chair tightened, his knuckles white. How he wished he had a gun, so he could shoot a bullet right through the guy's head._

_The fat figure chuckled again. "As I recall, you were quite talkative with that little girl we found you with. What was her name, Kagome?"_

_Widening his eyes, the pupils turned to slits as Train ripped off a piece of the wooden chair, jumping up from his spot to attack the fat man, fangs beared at him. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO WITH KAGOME-CHAN, YOU BASTARD?!"_

_Immedietly, he was thrown to the ground, and 8 guns and 2 tasers were pointed at his neck, electricity rolling off it in waves. He stopped immedietly, not wishing to die just yet._

_The figure chuckled. At least he had some way to control the boy now. "Nothing. Yet. Now, I'll ask you one more time: __**Would you like to join us**__?"_

_The kid he was talking to was now considering his choices: He had no weapons, not much experience only using his hands, he was surrounded by guns and tasers, Kagome was nowhere in sight, and he was on the ground defenseless._

"…_Fine."_

_Immedietly, the guns and tasers retraced, as the man at the table nodded. He turned towards the steel door. "Bring 'er in."_

_Without warning, the door burst open, and a blue/black blur was rushing right towards Train, as two bodyguards outside the door looked confused._

"_TRAIN-KUN!"

* * *

_

"Train…."

Someone tapped his head.

"Train you lazy bum…get your butt up…"

Slowly cracking open 1 eye, he looked around him to see Eve tapping on his head and Sven grumbling in the background, checking some papers for their next target.

He wiped his face with the back of his curled up hand. "Hey Svenny. We get any good targets yet?"

Sven scowled at the name, the cigarette in the corner of his mouth moving with every time he talked. "Stop calling me that pathetic name! Yeah, there are two."

Smirking, Train and Eve got off the couch and to the table, where there was a pile of papers stacked up. Two lone sheets were spread out, showing pictures of two men.

The first one was of a man with a short moustache, his face pudgy and round. He looked like he weighed about 250 pounds, give or take a few. He was about 4'5, in a really tight business suit.

"That one's a mafia boss. I think his name is…how the hell do you pronounce that?"

"It's 'Grassello' Sven."

Eve laughed. "It's Italian for 'fat' isn't it?"

"You got that right princess. The name suits him."

Sven scowled. "Can we stop talking about his name?! Anyways, his bounty is about 25 grand."

"That's pretty low…Compared to what we've done."

"Torneo doesn't count Train."

"Dammit."

Sven just continued scowling. "As I was saying, here's the other one. He's got a bounty of 60 grand, but apparently, he's harder to catch."

As Sven used his right hand to flip the paper, Train's eyes widened.

It just had to be him. The red eyes, the black hair. That same smirk he wore when he pulled the trigger. He was wearing a spotless business suit, his hair tied in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck.

* * *

Somewhere inside Train, something snapped, the sound of a tiger echoing throughout his body. 

The hunt was on.

* * *

Sven and Eve looked up from their spots to see Train with his hand slammed onto the paper, his pupils merely slits and a hand resting on Hades. 

"We're going after this one. No questions."

* * *

_**Nee kimi wa tashika ni totsuzen araware**_

_**Watashi no kurayami ni hikari sashita**_

_**Soshite sukoshi waratte daijoubu date unaz **_

_**Watashi no te o totte arukidashita

* * *

**_

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

_The sounds of a bullet releasing from the barrel and into a dummy continued for about a few more minutes, before a 16-year old Train put Hades back into it's holder, turning around and grinning at a 16-year old Kagome._

_Both of them wore a black cloak, but Train had white, rolled-up shorts and a blue shirt while Kagome had a dark blue Chinese-looking dress, with black shorts up to her knees. The cloaks covered both of them as Kagome just clapped from under the big sleeves._

"_See Kagome-chan! All the bullets went through the dummy's heart!"_

_Dusting off her cloak, Kagome walked up to the dummy 10 feet away from Train and looked at the 'heart'. "Nope, you missed by a few millimeters with 1 bullet. There's another hole really close to the heart, that was probably another bullet as well."_

_Train pouted. "Goddamn it!"_

_Kagome giggled, hiding it behind a hand as she came besides Train, pulling out Hades. "Here, let me try. I'll aim for the middle of the head."_

_Train scoffed. He bet she couldn't. _

_Bang, Bang, Bang, And Bang._

_Four bullets flew from the gun, piercing the air as they honed in on their target. Seconds past by as the last bang sounded, whispers of smoke coming from the mouth of Hades._

_As soon as the smoke stopped, Train and Kagome went up to the life-sized dummy, not noticing how there was a man in a tux who entered the room, or how he was holding a small handgun, the light reflecting off the tip._

"_Hey! You only had 1 miss! And that was close to the hole!"_

"_Aww, is the Black Cat whining?"_

_Nobody noticed how the man's pointer finger tightened as the trigger was pulled, and two bangs were heard loudly across the sound proof room._

_They did notice the two bullets heading straight for Train, and how he just stood there petrified in fear, how his eyes widened and moved around, willing his body to move._

_**C'mon body, move! Move before you get shot, you stupid body! Move!**_

_His body just continued to stand there as the bullets came closer, the figure running out of the open door, as people came in to see what caused the bang._

_A high-pitched scream was heard as he closed his eyes, giving up with the fact that his body. Who was screaming? Was it his name being screamed?_

_**No, I'm not going to leave Kagome-Chan. Now move body! MOVE!**_

"_TRAIN-KUN!"_

_**MOVE! MOVEMOVEMOVEMOVEMOVE!**_

_Closing his eyes, he heard two bullets hit flesh, blood covering his eyes._

_**Why can't I feel the pain? What the hell's going on?**_

_He felt someone collide with him, the body moving with force that only a moving bullet could make, and both of them fell to the ground. He couldn't hear anything; only see the black hair surrounding parts of his face as members of Chronos came into the room to check on everything. _

_**Goddamn it legs! What the hell's on me?**_

_Holding out a hand, he felt around the body on top of him, feeling the back of someone, and a hand near his right holding Hades. Wait, Hades?!_

_Gasping and moving his head up-with a horrible ache, probably from the rock he fell on- he came face to face with a pale Kagome, her breathing irregular and her face pale. Sweat fell from her brow, as her twinkling brown eyes burrowed deep into his soul. The blood fell from two shots in her back, staining both their clothing._

"_Train…Kun…"_

_Hearing her breath, he let out a breath, hearing someone in the distance call for a medic. Right now, all he could feel was the weight of his and Kagome's body, and the way it felt like someone was carrying him._

_**Kagome-chan? Did you take the bullet?**_

_His eyes drooped, his arms went limp, and Hades was silently taken off them, leaving Train and Kagome being carried by whoever was carrying them. Right then, all he wanted to do was sleep._

_Raising an arm, he let one hand gently brush against Kagome's cheek, before it fell limp and his body slouched._

_**Kagome-chan….**_

_Then all went black.

* * *

_

_**Kimi no se ni tenshi no hane o mita**_

_**Tsuyoku naritai to nagatta no wa**_

_**Itami ni nibuku nara tame ja nai**_

_**Tasukerarete sasaerarete **_

_**Ataeatte yurushiatta**_

_**Ano hi mamotte ikitai**_

_**Mono ga dekita kara

* * *

**_

"…Ain? Train? Train?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Svenny, what were you saying?"

Sven's visible eye twitched manically as he glared as best as he could at the yawning figure of the 'Black Cat'. Who in reality was a lazy slacker who just wanted food.

"Train, you spaced out for a few minutes. Something the matter?"

Oh, thank God for Eve. If it weren't for her, Train might have been killed already.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just thinking. Anyways, when do we go after our target?"

Sven looked at Train. There it was again, that little spark in his eyes that spelled revenge. What happened between him and this Naraku person?

"Train, did something happen to you with this 'Naraku'?"

Hearing the name, Train's ears perked and his faced Sven. "Why do you ask? It's none of your business."

Sven scowled. Seriously, did he always have to keep so many secrets? "We need to know if there's anything dangerous about this guy. Something's happened between you two, and we need to know. Unless you want all of us killed."

Train sighed. He was right. Naraku was powerful, and they needed to know all they could.

"Okay, but I'm only going to repeat this once. So listen closely…"

* * *

_The tears seemed to never stop, finally ending as dark stains on the satin white bed-sheets, covering a sleeping 16 year-old girl from the world. Only her face showed, her breathing slow and her eyes closed, her raven hair spread all over the pillow. Bandages covered her face, the stains coming closer to her covered hand._

_Hades laid on the bedside table, innocently shining in the faint light the window allowed. Shadows covered the face of the boy standing in front of the bed, his head bowed low enough that you could make out chestnut colored hair._

"_Train, you've done enough moping around and regretting. Get your butt out of this hospital room already."_

_Turning around, Train faced a slightly older Sephiria, with a disapproving look on her face. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her left high heel tapping on the floor._

"_Train, it's been a week. A whole week of you mourning over her. Suck it up."_

_Before she could even blink, Sephiria's hand automatically pulled Christ out of its sheath and swung it in the air, blocking a powerful punch with the blunt side of the blade. Despite the fact that she had a sharp blade made of Orichalcum, the fist continued to press the blade until the sharp edge almost hit her nose._

"_Shut up! You don't even know her! How do you tell someone who has a friend in a coma to suck it up! You heartless bitch!"_

_Sephiria's eyes widened at the last comment, but her grip on the sword never faltered as she gently pushed Train away._

_Walking up to the sleeping girl in a coma, she pointed to the heart monitor. "Train, what is that?"_

_Train tilted his head to the side, not getting what Sephiria was trying to tell him. "A heart monitor. Why?"_

"_And who's heart is it monitoring?"_

"_Kagome-Chan's."_

_Sephiria sighed, a hand brushing over the raven locks of hair spread out. "And what does this mean?"_

_Train was still puzzled. "That…Kagome-Chan's heart is beating?"_

"_Correct."_

_Sephiria sat down on the chair besides the bed, Train taking the one on the other side._

"_It means that Kagome is alive. It means that she can still understand what is going on. It means that there is a chance for Kagome to open her eyes and help you train with Hades like there's no tomorrow. Meanwhile, you are moping around and acting like she just died, when her heart is still beating. And because she can understand what's going on, she would probably call you a baka and make you train again. She just wants you to continue living life to the fullest while she heals."_

_Sighing, Sephiria got off the chair and headed for the door, one hand lingering on the doorframe. "Do you get it now Train?"_

_He nodded, his eyes showing determination and respect. "I get it."

* * *

_

_**Nee kimi wa tokidoki muboubi sugiru kurai**_

_**Watashi ni subete de butsukatte kuru**_

_**Sore wa amarinimo mabushii sugiru hodo de**_

_**Watashi wa mabataki sae mo oshimu no**_

_**Kimi wa se ni tenshi no hane o motsu

* * *

**_

"Whatever happened to the girl, Kagome?"

Train looked up from his clenched hands to face Eve and Sven, curiosity shining in their eyes.

"I'll get to that…."

Seeing the slight change in Train's mood, Sven stopped smoking for a minute to take another look at Train. There was something in his eyes he didn't like…. Something connected to that girl.

"Eve, Train?"

Said two mentioned looked up.

"Let's just get on with the mission. I heard he's around this town, and that's why I picked up the flyer."

Merely shrugging her shoulders, Eve went into a spare room to change, leaving Sven and a non-talkative Train in the living room.

All was silent, save for the old grandfather clock ticking away, every second filled with a tick.

"Tell us when you're ready."

"Huh?"

Sven looked down at the sitting Train. "It's obvious something happened to this Kagome, so let it be for a while and just concentrate on the target. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

He was utterly shocked. Utterly shocked at how Sven was able to read him so well, and only after a few minutes of talking about her. Slowly, he closed his eyes and looked out the window.

"Thanks Sven."

Sven chuckled. "For what?"

* * *

_**Nee kimi wa tashika ni totsuzen araware **_

_**Watashi no kurayami ni Hikari sashita**_

_**Soshite sukoshi waratte daijoubu date unaz**_

_**Watash no te o totte arukidashita**_

_**Nee kimi wa tokidoki muboubi sugiru kurai**_

_**Watashi ni subete de butsukatte kuru**_

_**Sore wa amarinimo mabushii sugiru hodo de**_

_**Watash wa mabataki sae mo oshimu no

* * *

**_

He didn't know how, what, of why it happened, but Train was glad that their target had decided to attack their apartment in the middle of the night. True, there was a lot of damage and they were probably going to be in trouble, but they found their target, and hopefully would be able to get him alive.

Well, if he didn't decide to just shoot him in the head and be done with it.

Jumping over another trashcan, he quickened his pace as he came to a empty street at the other side of the city. Behind him, Sven and Eve were quickly catching up as he pulled out Hades, the moonlight reflecting off the tip of the gun.

Noticing how hard Train was holding the gun; Sven told Eve to stay back a little and quickly pulled out his trust little gun-in-a-suitcase. Something told him that Train was pissed, and this street was going to get bloody pretty soon.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the empty and lonely street, Naraku was watching the three sweepers meet up with each other, while he stood out from the shadows, a small handgun at his waist and a fairly new katana in his hands. Upon seeing the gun Train pulled out, his eyes widened as he smirked, a new plan forming in his mind.

"Ah, so you're the brat that girl saved. Tell me, did she stay alive after being shot in the back twice?"

It took less than 2 seconds for Naraku to feel pain as a bullet embedded itself in his right arm, the katana falling out of the limp and useless grip of his bleeding hand. Wincing, he held his shoulder with his other arm as he looked 10 feet to his right, noticing how Train's eyes were sharp and piercing, like a cat's. Quickly, he had fired off 2 more bullets, hitting both of Naraku's hamstrings in the process as he pulled on his arms, one foot place between the shoulder blades and adding pressure by pulling on the limp arms. Naraku was seething now, red showing in his eyes.

"Bastard!"

Meanwhile, Sven and Eve were standing there petrified. Train had never acted that rash before, not even with Creed. Stepping back a little, Sven slowly brought the suitcase to eye level with shaking hands and fired the net, hitting Naraku dead on as Train jumped away in the nick of time.

Eve was staring in awe and terror, slowly walking forward until she came face to face with the pissed-off Train, ignoring how Sven kept yelling for her to be careful. Slowly bringing up a hand, she patted his head and secured the net as Train slowly but surely calmed down.

A few minutes passed in silence: Naraku unconscious, Sven slowly walking forward, Eve petting Train's head, and Train calming down until he fell to the ground tired and asleep.

Scowling, Sven quickly handcuffed Naraku, picking up Train as Eve dragged Naraku back to the car where they would bring him to the police the next day. For a guy with a pretty large bounty, he was pretty easy to catch.

* * *

_It was dark and cold. Oh so dark and cold it hurt._

_Her lungs burned with the desire to breath, yet it seemed as if something was preventing her. Over and over, it felt like something was hitting her hard. Over and over, it continued to come, as all she could see was darkness forever._

_She tried to open her eyelids, to see a shed of light she desperately needed to see, but they remained glued, as her body shook with the after-shocks of something small hitting her stomach. She could feel the stick red liquid oozing out of her wounds, smell the coppery scent encase her as she frowned, still trying to open her eyes._

_Again, another hit in her chest. She could hear now, she heard a bang and the sound of the air splitting for something tiny as it hit her, the bed she was in moving with the force._

_Wincing, she kept her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to stop. After a few minutes of waiting, she found it over._

_Slowly and painfully, she cracked open her eyelids and looked around the room she was in, noticing how the sheets were covered in blood. Her blood._

_She noticed a figure in front of her bloody bed, holding a smoking handgun as the light coming from the open door hid the face, but from the profile, she could tell it was a male in a business suit._

_Looking up at the open door, she bit her lip not the scream out Train's name as she saw him holding Hades and pointing it at the mysterious man, eyes widened with horror and anger, bruises on his legs and arms._

"_Kagome-chan… What the hell…"_

_**Wha? Is that my name?**_

_Turning her head some more, she looked Train fully in the eyes, letting out a soft smile and a few words, before the man turned around and shot her one more time in the middle of the head._

_And as the words left the cavern of her mouth, the blood flew in the air and the bullet entered the brain, her eyes widening in fear and pain, before slowly closing as her body hit the bed again. Now everything was covered in blood, her blood._

"_**Protect you forever…Black Cat…."

* * *

**_

_**Kimi wa se ni tenshi no hane **_

_**Kono kanashiki jidai no gisheisha ni**_

_**Kimi wa douka naranaide hoshii**_

_**Setsunaru omoi ga todoku youni to**_

_**Watashi wa kyon mo inoru youni utau

* * *

**_

It was morning, the sun was out, and 2 males were currently awake, one chugging a bottle of milk, and one smoking a cigarette. Ever laid in the background asleep on the small couch they had managed to afford.

It was silent for a while, the sound of the grandfather clock chiming in the room. They looked tired, and yet even though there was a bundle of money on the table separating them, neither looked happy.

Train finished his bottle, gently setting it on the table before opening it again.

"You know, you never told us what happened to that girl, Kagome."

Train stopped mid-way in opening the bottle, his hand resting on the cap that was about to fall off. "Hm?"

"What happened to her? It didn't sound like you finished the story before."

Sighing, he finished opening the second bottle, setting it besides the empty one and looking at Sven.

"She died. That's it."

Sven blinked. Surely a story like that didn't end that quickly.

"She just died?"

"Yeah, but before I continue-"

"There's more? I thought you said she died!"

Train gritted his teeth, taking another swig.

"Let me finish. Sven, do you believe in reincarnation?"

Once again, Sven blinked. Train sure was saying a lot of things out of the blue that day.

"Yeah, pretty much. I mean, if Tao exists, then reincarnation has a pretty good chance of existing. Why do you ask?"

He heard a sigh from Train as Sven finished off the cigarette, putting it out on the ashtray in front of him.

"Kagome-chan was reincarnated into Saya."

Sven almost lost his footing, or at least almost fell off the chair.

"Kagome was reborn into Saya?!"

Train fondly smiled, remembering something so long ago.

"Yeah. After she explained it to me, I kinda figured out why I felt so at ease with her. But then Creed killed her. Again."

Clenching his heart with his fist, Train stared at the floor, tears threatening to fall from their places. "It hurt Sven. To see the one who loved you and you loved them back be killed again, you once again powerless to stop it. It hurts…"

Not knowing what to say, Sven just stared at Train and slowly got up, grabbing the milk bottles on the way to the kitchen.

"Well, I don't really know what to tell you. I've never been through something like what you went through, but all I can say…I guess… Is that we're gonna be here until the end, and if you just need a shoulder to cry on, you've got one…"

Sighing, Sven chuckled. "Sorry, that sounded really cheesy."

Looking down at the table, Train let loose a soft laugh before looking at Sven, small tears showing at the corners of his eyes. "Nah. Sometimes the cheesiest things are the best. Thanks Sven."

Sven just looked back. "It's what Kagome would have done."

Meanwhile, besides Eve, there was a transparent figure floating a few inches above the ground, smiling at the sight the two men made and slowly brushing her fingers through the mass of hair on the couch below her.

Slowly, the figure gained color, showing black hair, a blue and white dress with a jacket, and some white sneakers loosely on the small feet. The girl had chocolate brown eyes, and a soft smile on her lips. Upon moving her hair to one side, the bloodstains on her clothing were noticed easily, as Eve slowly stirred in her sleep.

Silently hushing and patting the girl's head, she looked back towards Sven and Train, looking at the once-assassin with a certain tint in her eyes. Only the ones deeply looking for it could notice, so none did.

Sighing, Kagome looked down to see Eve sleeping again. Softly smiling, she slowly turned transparent again and flew out the window, watching the apartment with her life.

* * *

**Mashin:** Yeah, yeah. I got lazy with the ending. Sue me. 

The beginning was made around January 30, and I got a cold around the middle, so the emotions and crap started going downhill there. In my opinion.

Enjoy the other update(s) I put up

-Mashin.


	14. Chapter 14:Sasori and Kagome

**Mashin:** Written after many hectic things that happened. One just so happened to be that this chapter was deleted like two times. Not nice computer, not nice.

**EDIT AFTER FINISHING THE CHAPTER:** Whopping 4,140 words. Doesn't seem much considering how long it took to type, though. I'll try and type more during my trip to Vegas in...around 12 hours.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Nothing at all.

--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

_**Title:**__ To Love's End_

_**Pairing:**__ Sasori/Kagome_

_**Summary:**__ "Can you remember, everything that we did? Because I sure can, and they were the best moments of my life."_

_**Song:**__ Millennium-Day after Day. I was listening to a remix of it...Just can't remember which one..._

_**Notes:**__ I apologize for the really long delays in things. I've been waiting for my sister to keep her part of a deal, but she doesn't seem to want to. Bad sister, bad. Also, I apologize for any OOCness._

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_"Day after Day, Night after Night  
I've been waiting to love again,  
Day after Day, Night after Night  
Love is waiting, inside your heart,"_

_-Millenium, Day after Day._

* * *

_"You're Sasori, right?"_

_A small, 12 year old Sasori looked to his left with hollow eyes, taking in the appearance of the girl right beside him in tight jeans and a loose blue shirt. Her new hiate was on her forhead, and her weapons pouch laid on right leg._

_"..."_

_The girl huffed. "Not a talker?"_

_"..."_

_"Fine, be that way. Don't talk to your new teammate!"_

_"...You're my teammate?"_

_The girl just gave a scream of frustration, raising her hands up in the air as a sign of anger. "Did you even pay attention to the instructor?! Yes, you're my teammate, and I was damn well expecting a better one!"_

_"...Your problem. I don't even know your name."_

_Her mood immedietly too a 180-degrees turn. Which would get his eye twitching if he weren't so uncaring. "My name's Higurashi Kagome, okay? Now let's go. Our other teammate is with our instructor." She grabbed his arm and turned the other direction, one foot ready to start walking._

_"...Where do we meet them?"_

_Kagome froze, her foot still in the air. Turning around, she rubbed the back of her head with one arm and stuck her tongue out. "Oops...Err, let's go find out?"_

_"..."_

* * *

He stood in a large room, his black cloak hitting the ground with every step he took. Around him, puppets with sorrowful faces stared at him with empty eyes, each face as pain-filled as the next.

Swiftly looking around the room, Sasori let out a sigh and flopped down on the bed, letting it bounce for a few seconds before laying still. No noise was made, except for his deep breathing.

Another sigh. Sasori turned his head to the left to see a simple bedside table with a drawer. A small lamp and a photo frame laid on the surface, both covered in a small film of dust.

Sasori brough a calloused hand to pick up the frame, brushing the dust off, before putting it back gently in it's original place. The picture was visible now, showing a 13-year old Sasori with two other children and an older man in a Jonin suit.

His eyebrows turned down in confusion as he continued to stare at the pictrue from his spot on the bed. "Weird..."

"Something wrong Sasori-Sama?"

His head swiftly turned to the doorway, where Deidara was currently standing at, light filtering from the hallway outside. Sasori sighed once more as he shook his head, his short red hair bouncing with the action.

"Nothing."

Deidara let a small frown grace his face, and he quickly crossed the distance from the door to Sasori's bed, picking up the photo frame. Sasori's protests went unnoticed by the bomb-maker, and Deidara's face lit up.

"I didn't know Sasori-Sama had a team, un!"

Said man frowned as he grabbed the photo and placed it back on the bed table. "You didn't ask."

"Who are the brats and the teacher?"

"My sensei was Sando-san, and the boy was Yaiba Surudoi."

Deidara cocked his head to the side. "Who was the girl, un? She looks pretty for a little girl."

Sasori frowned as his mind desperately tried to come up with a name. _Kane, Karin...What was her name? I know it started with a 'Ka'..._ "I don't remember."

"What?"

"I don't remember, okay?"

Deidara just gave a blank look, then turned away. "Whatever,un." Walking off, he slammed the door behind him, leaving Sasori in the dark once more.

Sasori sighed and turned over on the bed. Why couldn't he remember?

* * *

_He was kneeling in a small room somewhere in Suna, with a bowl of clean water and some bandages near his left leg. Across for him, Kagome was sitting on a pillow and staring at the bowl with wary eyes._

_A small-if not quiet- sigh escaped from his lips as he lifted the wet towel in his hand, and Kagome scooted back a bit further again. "Kagome-san, please. The wound on your knee needs to be washed before it gets infected."_

_Kagome stubbornly shook her head in return, and went back to staring at the water. "Nuh-uh. It's fine the way it is."_

_"With blood falling from it onto the floor every once in a while?"_

_Having the decency to blush in embarassment, Kagome went back to looking at the water. "I said I'm fine, okay? And don't pretend you don't have any injuries, I saw that kunai graze your shoulder!"_

_As if on instinct, Sasori let a small shaking hand touch the red line on his shoulder, with blood forming at the top and a weird yellow thing surrounding the injury. "I am capable of waiting. Your knee, however, is not."_

_"I said it's damn fine! God, just leave me alone!"_

_Sasori merely settled for glaring at her as he continued to take a step forward; each time he did, Kagome scooted back, until her back eventually hit a wall. Hitting the wall with the palm of his left hand, his right hand held the wet towel as he stared down at Kagome from above._

_"Shut up, and let me wash it."_

_A shiver ran through her back, his icy eyes and even icier words chilling her to the bone. Sensing that her life was forfiet if she didn't agree, she let her head bounce up and down for a few seconds._

_Immedietly, the glare coming from his blank eyes softened enough so she could look up. Above her, Sasori let a small smirk grace his lips as he moved back a little to grab the bowl of water._

_"Okay then, just stay still and let me help..."_

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_"Sasori-san!"_

_Turning his head to the left, Sasori managed to stretch out his arms and catch Kagome before she tackled him to the ground._

_"Sasori-san! Guess what day it is!"_

_He gave a small sigh before gently placing an energetic and hyper Kagome on her two feet, her sandles making small clicking noises against the stone path. "What day is it?"_

_"Today is Valentine's Day!"_

_Giving her a blank-and quite icy-stare, Sasori went back to looking out into the distance, past Suna's city walls. "Your point?"_

_"Sasori-san, you don't have any chocolate yet?"_

_"Do I really need one?"_

_Kagome crossed her arms across her chest and stuck her tongue out at Sasori, who was currently resisting the urge to whack her on the head with his sandal. "Yes, Mr.Grumpy-Pants, you need one! God forbid how many times you've acted with an icicle stuck up your-"_

_"Can I have the chocolate now?"_

_Stopping mid-rant, Kagome looked at Sasori, who had his hand out and his eyes saying 'Give-me-the-damn-chocolate-before-I-rip-your-throat-out'._

_She blinked, and pulled the neatly-wrapped package of chocolate from a small bag on her hip. "Sasori-san, you really like chocolate, don't you?"_

_Scoffing, Sasori quickly took the wrapped chocolate and stuffed it in his pocket, away from anyone's view. "What makes you say that?"_

_"The fact that you're stuffing some home-made chocolate in your pocket as fast as you can."_

_"That doesn't prove anything."_

_Giggling, Kagome raised a finger to gently prod Sasori's cheek, said boy flushed red in embarassment. After a few seconds of poking and prodding, she drew back and clapped her hands, the sound ecoing across the clearing._

_"That settles it! From now on, I'm going to make you chocolate every day!"_

_"...Wouldn't you run out of ingredients?"_

_Again, Kagome poked Sasori's cheek, this time more forceful. "Stop ruining the moment! And there are things called 'stores'. Seriously Sasori-san, you need to get out more."_

* * *

His red hair continued to bouce up and down with every step that took him closer to the kitchen, the smell of chocolate being made calming him down and putting him in a light state of drowsiness.

Taking a step into the rather small kitchen, Sasori's eye twitched when a certain orange-masked figure turned around, a pan of melting chocolate in one hand covered with an oven mitt, the other hand reaching for another mitt, that seemed to be latched on a...rather ugly pink apron Tobi was wearing.

All was quiet around the small space, before Sasori snuck a chunk of chocolate into his sleeve and ran away, leaving a screaming Tobi- who was still in front of the stove, making sure the chocolate didn't burn.

Bring the chunk up to his mouth to take a little bit, something in his heart clenched, and Sasori stood frozen in the middle of the hallway.

_"-san! I got you chocolate again!"_

_", don't tell me you're actually-"_

_"Hey, if I promise something, I'm gonna do it! Now shut up and take the chocolate!"_

Shaking his head vigorously, Sasori's blank eyes stared in front of him as his feet unconsciously started walking again, making a pattering noise as he walked back to his room.

_What was that about?_

* * *

_"Sasori-kun!"_

_Blinking, Sasori looked up from the home-made chocoalte in his hands to face Kagome, who was sitting beside him on the bench with her hands tucked underneath her legs._

_Over the 4 years he had known her, she had grown from a weak academy graduate, into a strong and independant chunin, now soon to be jonin. He himself was at an ANBU level, but stuck to Jonin, if only to wait for her to catch up. Then he would easily gain a rank, causing her to train, just to meet him, at the very least._

_"I'm sorry Kagome-sama, were you saying something?"_

_She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest, causing him to look at her rather...large cleavage. Larger than most 16-year olds, of course._

_"I was asking if you had any interests in a special girl..."_

_Merely giving her a blank look that plainly told her to shut it, Sasori went back to nibbling at the chocolate._

_Kagome scooted closer. "So you have a special girl?"_

_Sasori merely shot the look again, shaking his head in the process. "No, dammit. I don't have a special girl. Why?"_

_Huffing, she turned the other direction. "No reason. Absolutely no reason at all." she quietly said._

_Sasori gave her a look that she couldn't see and went back to staring at the sunset. It was silent around the two, one stuck in his own thoughts and one in her own world._

_"I lied."_

_Swiftly turning her head, Kagome stared at the slightly blushing Sasori, who was rubbing the back of his head. "I lied okay? I do have a special girl."_

_Kagome squeeled, causing Sasori to wince at the noise. "Who is it, who is it?"_

_Smirking, he brought a finger to her lips, closing them shut. "That's a secret."_

* * *

The door to the dimly-lit room closed with a small 'tak', the doorknob making a small clicking noise as Sasori quickly locked it. Looking around in the darkness of the place left him feeling slightly empty, as if something was supposed to happen before, but never did. His gut told him it had something to do with the girl who he couldn't remember.

"It's like something was supposed to happen, but it didn't..."

Along the wall to his left, his own puppets stared at him with their dull,life-less eyes; staring as if he were the only thing there.

"Sasori-kun, is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No need to worry," he softly said, reaching to the wall, "Everything is fine."

The person-probably a girl, due to the voice-scoffed, and the sound of fabric moving reached his ears. "Don't go 'Everything is fine' with me Sasori-kun, I know when you're lying. Now tell me what's wrong."

His hand patted the top of her head, covered with long black hair a tad lighter than the shadows she stood in. "Don't worry, everything is fine at the moment."

Another scoff from the girl. "Yeah yeah, you say that. 'At the moment'. Next moment: Boom! You're dead."

Sasori let out a small chuckle as the figure retreated more into the shadows surrounding them. "You have a way with words, you know."

"Yeah, you keep telling me."

Closing his eyes, he shook his head softly and retracted his hand, taking a small step back; towards the bed with the photo nearby. "You truly do. That's all I can say."

He could practically see the smile on her face, and he saw her foot come forward a bit, before she changed her mind and walked back. "It was nice seeing you Sasori-kun."

"Likewise. But when will you tell me your true name."

There was a slight hesitation before she answered. "All in due time Sasori-kun, all in due time."

"As long as it's soon. I don't like being kept waiting, you know."

The rustling of fabric stopped, and he heard the sound of moving joints of a puppet. "Of course."

* * *

_"You really are leaving."_

_The moon hid behind the clouds above them, leaving them in barely any light. He stood in the mounds of sand in the desert; she was kneeling on the ground, her back against the wall surrounding Sunagakure._

_"Did you really think that I would stay in a village like that, when the time would come?"_

_She shook her head, and a small dribble of blood fell from her lips. "No, I guess not."_

_The silence surrounded them once more, and only when it came did Sasori realize how beaten the both of them were. Of course, he didn't expect him to come out of the fight spotless either._

_Various weapons and puppet limbs were strewn around them, droplets or puddles of blood leading a trail to where they were now. His once new Akatsuki cloak was now tattered and torn to the point where he wouldn't be able to repair it, no matter what he did. Scratches and gashes where the cloak didn't protect him were littered on his puppet body, one of his empty eye sockets covered by the red hair that never seemed to be damaged._

_In front of him, Kagome was on one knee, her breath coming out in deep intakes, the sound of the blood in her lungs heard through the wind. Her clothing was torn, and she was in nothing but athletic shorts and a used-to-be long sleeved black shirt. Her hair was tangled and mattered with sticky blood, the same substance all over her; her skin, her clothes. Everywhere._

_Slowly moving so she was cross-legged, a small smile was thrown at him. Something about the smile un-nerved him, but he didn't know what._

_"Would this have all happened, if we had never met? Would we still have fought like this, even if we weren't on the same team?"_

_"I don't know," Sasori softly said, walking forward until he crouched infront of her " 'What ifs' are just that. We won't know."_

_She let out a chuckle. "But wouldn't it have been better? We wouldn't have to deal with all these feelings. It would just be a fight between us. Nothing else."_

_He said nothing to her reply; instead, deciding to just sit infront of her. Somehow, her reply hurt his heart, hard. "If we could change the past, what would you change?"_

_Smiling, her eyelids drooped lower and lower, until her voice became a whisper and she fell asleep. "I'd want us...not to fight...I guess..."_

_Sasori gave a small chuckle. "What a naiive wish," he muttered, taking off his tattered cloak and wrapping it around the unconscious body of Kagome. "Though I have to say, that might be the best wish."_

_And with a rustle in the wind, and a look back at her, Sasori left Suna for good._

* * *

"Say, Sasori-kun?"

Opening his eyes, Sasori looked towards the wall once more. She was back once more, and this time, out of the shadows.

His eyes scanned over her. Unlike the first time he had seen her, she was wearing civilian-like clothes. To be precise, a rather short green skirt, a green and white sailor shirt, and knee-high socks. Her hair was loose and down her back, blending in with the shadows barely touching her skin.

The only abnormality about her was that her joints were attached to eachother by screws, and that lines at the ends of her mouth leading off her chin.

Taking the silence as an answer, she continued. "Sasori-kun, do you remember how you found me? Do you remember my name yet?"

He sat there for a moment, closing his eyes and trying to find an answer. After a few moments, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to remember anything. All I remember is the sound of fighting and some poison."

Sighing, he brought his hands up to his face and shivered. "It's like something's poking holes in my memory. Every time I try and remember, I just can't bring anything up."

The girl gave a small smile and walked towards him. She sat down on the bed beside him quietly, with the stealth of a cat. "Do you know of something called 'Selective Memory Loss'? It is when someone either wishes to not remember parts of their life, or loses parts of their memory due to a head injury."

"So I may have either been injured on the head, or not wanted to remember you?"

She gave a small smile. "I would not know which one caused you to forget, but I can tell you; when you last saw me as a human, you did get hit in the head with the hilt of a sword."

"You sound like you know alot on what happened," Sasori stated, carefully picking each word. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I knew you would ask that," she sighed, patting the bed. "Get comfy, it's a long story. I'll start where you came in. You see, my team and I were on a mission, two years after I last saw you. We were running in the desert..."

* * *

_Blurs of color ran around him; surrounding him, suffocating him._

_He heard screams, orders being shouted, the cries of people as they took their last breath._

_Scents were everywhere; Blood, toxic gas, burning grass._

_The last thing he saw was a bloody body in his arms; familar blue eyes staring up at him in surprise and joy. The blood was all over the two. In their hair, on their clothes; everywhere. His puppets and her sword were somewhere else, both of them broken beyond repair._

_She screamed his name._

_Everything went black._

--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

_He was in his room again, fixing all his puppets. Fixing a crack on one of the male faces, the sound of moving fabric reached his ears, causing him to stop._

_"Deidara, if you plan on blowing up one of my puppets again, I am going to-"_

_"I'm sorry, who is Deidara?" _

_Shocked, Sasori turned around in an instant, pulling out a kunai from his holder. The figure in the shadows gave a small chuckle at his action, and almost immedietly, he found the kunai back in his holster and the person infront of him; blue eyes twinkling with an emotion he couldn't name._

_"Sasori-kun, it's nice to see you again!" They said, taking a step back._

_He was speechless. It was a girl; a human puppet. Her rolled up sleeves showed screws and wooden limbs, and her joints creaked every time she moved in her ANBU uniform._

_Wait, she had called him Sasori-kun. Last he recalled, no female was that close to him._

_His eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, exactly who are you?"_

_The girl seemed shocked. After a moment, her eyes drooped. "Sasori-kun, you don't remember? But it's only been a few years, how come you can't-"_

_"I'm sorry, am I supposed to remember you? You are a stranger, as far as I know."_

_Her outstretched hand-which had been reaching towards him-fell limply to her side. "You really don't remember."_

_He shook his head. "I have said that already. Can you please explain how you came to be a puppet?"_

_The girl just stepped back into the shadows, letting it absorb her until her voice echoing across the room was the only thing left of her. "You made me this way, Sasori-kun."_

_Those words continued to haunt him until he saw her again, 2 months later._

* * *

Two hours had passed. Two hours of Kagome -He had learned her name a few minutes into the first memory- re-telling memories she was fond of. Two hours of the glazed look in her eyes; Two hours of Sasori feeling guilty, because he couldn't feel the same things as she felt. Because they were just words to him. Nothing important, just words from someone he should have rememebered.

Stopping, Kagome turned to look at Sasori. "Sasori-kun, can you remember anything?"

He was silent. Inside his mind, his consciousness roared at him, demanding him to say something. Something, _anything. _Anything to remind her that they knew.

He said nothing, just continued to stare at her. His consciousness roared again, demanding him to say something. He didn't listen, instead, watched her face fall in despair and sorrow.

After a few seconds of silence, Kagome let out a sigh. "I can't say I didn't expect this," she muttered. "But it's rather hard to take." She stood up from the bed and started walking towards the shadows again, the same sorrow-filled face on.

Without warning, his hand wrapped itself around her wrist, causing her to turn around and look at him with a questioning gaze. His head looked up, and his mouth immedietly dried up.

"Kagome, I'm sorry."

She waved her hand almost tiredly. "It's alright, I just thought..." She paused for a second, and that brief second let him see tears clinging onto her eyelashes. "I just thought, you know, that you'd remember, and everything would go back to normal. I guess that things don't always go as planned."

"Yeah, I remember that sensei would always tell you that. Every single time you failed at one of your traps. You always relied on one single thing to happen, and it would never turn out well. For your part, that is."

Her body stood rigid in front of him, tears slowly falling down her cheeks in small trails. Shaking her head, she turned around and sat back down on the bed. "How do you remember? You said-"

"Correction: You thought that I didn't remember. I was trying to sort my thoughts out at remembering things when you were talking. I'm sorry for not saying something earlier," He said, looking at her face. "A-And for making you cry." Sasori quickly added.

Sniffling, Kagome wrapped her arms around his puppet body. "Thank you for remembering me."

Chuckling, Sasori leaned into her touch. "Let's make new memories."

"Indeed."

* * *

**Mashin:** And it's done! Thank you so much to the people who read my past chapters!

I have no idea how good this chapter is (Seeing as how I always just type and post), but I'm hoping it's up to your standards!

Enjoy!

-Mashin


	15. Chapter 15:Kuronue and Kagome

**Mashin:** Not really one of my best chapters, but it seemed to go with what I first thought of.

All the drabbles have a theme in them. Try to guess what they are!

* * *

_**Title:** Fly little bird, fly._

_**Pairing:** Kagome/Kuronue, based on the poll._

_**Summary: **Their meetings were more than coincidence, they were inevitable. Prehaps with the right timing, they could fly away-Together this time._

_**Song: **The Time of my Life, David Cook._

**_Notes:_** _Sorry for the Delay in things; I've been thinking and thinking and thinking and...Well, you get the point. I'd consider this a bunch of 200 word oneshots, all tied together. Except for the ending, that was just a plain...err...what you want to call it._

**+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+**

_"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for more problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom."_

_-_Earl Shoaf.

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They had met on the night of the New Moon.

She had left her group for a while, stumbling across him in a blood-filled clearing. His silver-colored partner wasn't with him. They were alone for a while, staring at eachother from opposite sides.

Time passed, and she brought out her hand, slowly walking towards him. Trapped and injured, all he could do was kneel there and wait for her to kill him.

Instead, she had pulled out some herbs, a wet towel, and some bandages. Shocked as she continued to wipe all the blood off him, he had dropped his weapons and sat down, letting her do her work. She made no move to harm him, he made no move to stop her.

When she had finished, she had disappeared for a second; And in that second, he thought she was leaving-for good. Minutes passed, and she came back with a blanket and a bag. Wrapping him in the blanket, she leaned against a nearby tree, dragging her bag behind her.

Within seconds, she was asleep, and he was left wondering who she was. Hidden, he drifted off to sleep, trusting the girl not to harm him.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Their next meeting was filled with different stares.

Both groups had ended up at the same clearing by coincidence; one group bloody and tired, the other just tired.

Upon noticing eachother, Kagome stood up from her spot under a tree, walking towards Kuronue with her hand outstretched. Said youkai stepped forward as well.

Kuronue chuckled, ignoring Youko's surprised face. "What do you want now?"

"I want my Shikon Shard back." She replied. "Don't think I didn't notice you take it when I was asleep."

Shrugging, Kuronue fished around in his clothing. After a few seconds, he pulled out a light-purple shard. Upon it touching Kagome's palm, a small flash of light escape from it, and it turned back to bright pink. Smiling, the miko pulled out a tiny bottle from a chain around her neck, and dropped the shard inside before putting the lid back on.

Ignoring the rest in their group, the two went to sit down under the shelter of another tree, chatting and oblivious to the glares of both Inuyasha and Youko.

"How do you think Kagome-sama knows him?" Miroku whispered into Sango's ear. "She hasn't snuck out of camp lately, has she?"

Sango shrugged, completely confused.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Kagome and Kuronue had one thing in common: Flying.

For Kuronue, it was the thrill of flying over the trees, having the ability to do things humans -and some youkai- couldn't do. It was the rush in your blood as your landed, as unharmed as the day you were born.

For Kagome, it was the feeling of wind blowing through your hair, by your face; Enjoying the peace it gave you, if only for a while. It was the bliss that ran through her as she took the second to let go of Inuyasha's shoulders and threw her arms up into the air.

Flying was even better for the both of them when they flew together; Kagome in Kuronue's arms, Kuronue soaring without a care.

For one moment in time, they were both free. For one moment, they were able to enjoy the fact that nothing could bother them.

And when they landed, they would go their own ways, waiting for the next time they could be free.

Waiting, for when Kagome could feel the wind whip around her.

Waiting, for when Kuronue could soar above the trees.

Just waiting.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Sometimes, things don't go as planned.

Kuronue smiled as he brought up a flower from behind his back, watching her eyes light up with joy. Giggling, she gently picked up the flower and placed it behind her ears, slight hidden by her long hair.

He smiled, leaning forward towards the still Kagome, who was looking at him with curiosity in her eyes. "Kuronue-kun… What are you doing?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. Widening his eyes, Kuronue pulled back and ended up landing on his back. "Ow…"

_Why the hell did I just try to kiss her?!_

Coughing, he turned around and faced a giggling Kagome. "Kagome-chan?"

Stopping her giggles, Kagome looked up at him. "Yes, Kuronue-kun?"

"Do you trust me?"

She was silent. After a second, she clapped her hands and smiled a smile that didn't reach her. "Silly Kuronue!" _I trust you, with all my heart! Say it Kagome! Say it!_ "Of course I trust you! Otherwise, we wouldn't be good friends!"

She felt numb. _No! That wasn't what I wanted to say! What the-_

Kuronue's eyes filled with sorrow, before giving one of his own fake-smiles. "Thanks Kagome-chan!"

_That wasn't what I wanted to say…_

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

The two groups had defeated Naraku, and as a token of their appreciation, the village Kaede was caring for decided to hold a festival, unfortunately with alot of sake.

Now sitting infront of a giant bonfire, Kagome's eyelids drooped lower and lower, until her head hit Kuronue's upper arm (He was still taller than her, dammit.) and the sound of soft snoring came from beside him. Chuckling, Kuronue gently picked her up and started heading towards a hut they gave her. Ignoring the cheers, Kuronue went inside the hut with Kagome, and never came out.

The festivities continued until sunrise, and by then, everyone was exhausted, sleeping, or drunk. Youko happened to be exhausted, and accidentally turned towards Kagome's hut instead of the one the village gave him and Kuronue. Entering, he noticed that Kuronue was glaring at him, beside a snoozing Kagome.

Youko chuckled softly."What's with you Kuronue?"

"My wing." Kuronue grumbling, shuffling a bit so Youko could clearly see Kagome's hand clinging onto Kuronue's wing. "Kuronue, couldn't you just tell her to let go?"

"She wouldn't. Mind helping me out?"

"Your girlfriend. Not my problem."

And with a chuckle, Youko left the hut, ignoring Kuronue's roars of fury.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

"Your hair is silky."

Kuronue's eye twitched. "Come again?"

Sighing, Kagome raised her arm again, softly brushing the pads of her fingers against his hair. "I _said_, your hair is silky." She giggled, snuggling into the youkai's chest for warmth against the autumn wind. Her scarf didn't do much against the wind. It seemed as if its only purpose was to tickle Kuronue's arm.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment, or something else."

"Take it as a compliment." she huffed, pulling on one of the strands. He yelped, glaring down at her.

The two sat in silence for a while, Kagome still weaving her fingers through his hair. Frustrated with the silence, Kuronue said the first thing that came to mind.

"Your lips are silky."

Kagome blinked. "What?"

"Your lips are silky. I should know, I've kissed them." The way he said it with a gleam in his eyes made Kagome shiver. That wasn't the only thing he's kissed.

Kagome pulled on a lock of hair again, making him bend his head. "That's it mister, no oden for you!" She went back to gently combing his hair with her fingers.

"But-But, Kagome!"

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

The fall came quickly and without warning.

Kuronue's fatigued eyes slowly closed as he held on tightly to the sobbing Kagome, whispering words of comfort in her ear, despite that she couldn't hear them at the moment. He could barely hear himself over the rain, so how could she? Jaw tightening, his hold tightened as another wave of tears overcame her.

He could hear the rest of her group come, missing one person. Opening his eyes, he looked up to face Inuyasha's softened gaze, if only for a moment.

"C'mon, let's get you and Kagome inside. You guys don't need to see this right now."

Kuronue could only gain the strength to nod as he carried Kagome to Kirara, climbing on himself at the last second. "Inuyasha," he said, his voice as hoarse as it could sound. "Wh-what will you do now?"

Silver hair shook for a moment, following its owner's bowing head. "I don't know Kuronue. I just don't know what will happen."

The bat nodded as Kirara flew off, leaving the hanyou to his own thoughts.

Inuyasha looked down at the purple and black robes, soiled with smears of dirt and blood. "Miroku, you idiot…"

_Drop._

"_Dammit Miroku."_

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Her tears were slowly beginning to disappear, and for that, he was thankful.

Closing his eyes, Kuronue leaned back against the God Tree with Kagome in his arms, all sounds of crying now gone and replaced with deep breathes. Feeling another gust of wind go by, the tiny miko snuggled up even more, causing Kuronue to twitch.

"Kuronue-san?"

Said youkai turned his head to face a thinner Sango, who looked as if she had just finished crying. No surprise there, Miroku and her were engaged...

Closing his eyes, the slayer turned away and leaned on a tree. "Will you protect Kagome-chan for us?"

Kuronue frowned. What was she implying?

"Kagome-chan will have to choose between you or us. When she does, I want you to protect her...When...when we can't..."

He heard fresh tears fall from the slayer's eyes._ How much courage is this taking?_ he wondered. Shrugging, he stood up with Kagome in his arms. "I will protect Kagome, but it'll be because I care about her. Not that emotion you call 'love', but..." He stopped. What could he call it?

Sango merely smiled at his pause. "I'm sure you'll be able to take care of her. Thank you, Kuronue-san."

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

She had gotten them into a bind - _again._

Reaching for an arrow, Kagome grumbled at feeling nothing but air. Running back towards Kuronue, she ducked to dodge another attack aimed to split her head, ignoring the sound of blood splattering as she skidded beside the bat youkai, who had his hand outstretched to grab his blood-soaked weapon.

"There's too many here," she managed to get out, grabbing a sword from the ground. Gathering enough energy into her arms, she flung it towards the nearest group of youkai, ignoring their screams as their bodies withered and turned into ashes.

"Hmph. We can beat them." Kuronue replied, his trademark smirk on his face as he cut through around 2 youkai. Making sure that his wings were protecting Kagome, he threw his scythe once more in a circle, catching it with tired arms.

Apparently, she had noticed that he was tiring as well, for she snorted and clutched onto his shirt even tighter. "We're both tired; We need to find a place to recuperate." About to hear his remark, Kagome placed a blood-covered finger on his lips, and the red in his eyes grew at realizing that most of the blood on the finger was _hers_. "If we don't leave," she stated, watching as he released the scythe again, "We won't be able to even come back and attack them again. Or do you want to die here, _Kuronue?_" The last part came out in a hiss as a snake youkai got past Kuronue's wings and bit her arm, its body immedietly disintegrating on contact with her blood.

Grunting, he merely shook his head and turned around, slicing through another youkai with his bare claws. "Even though you aren't the best with words, _Ka-Go-Me,_" he said, pausing to block another attack, "…You somehow manage to persuade me."

Laughing, he managed to dodge the rather weak punches the spitfire beside him was throwing, keeping them out of harm's way at the same time. Finally giving up, Kagome just threw her arms up in the air and sidestepped another attack aimed for her ribs, making sure that she wasn't in Kuronue's way.

Finally stopping the banter, their expressions turned hard as they looked around them now. Even though they had defeated and killed many youkai, a large ring of them still surrounded them, with no way to escape. Gritting her teeth, Kagome grabbed the tail of a snake youkai and watched it turn into ashes before her eyes, only letting go when she realized there was another youkai right behind her back, aimed to tear her head off.

"Kuronue, there's too many!" Kagome screamed, feeling fangs rip through the flesh and skin of her back. Sobbing, she turned around and grabbed the fangs of the boar youkai, falling to her knees as it turned into dust before her. She smiled, hearing Kuronue finally reach her. Feeling him wrap his arms around her, a part of her noticed the blood dripping from his forehead.

"Hang on…We just need to find a opening…" he muttered. His head swiveled around. They were surrounded; every youkai around backed up by what seemed to be tens more. _Shit. Nowhere to go by ground…_ Looking up, Kuronue grimaced. The air around the battlefield was filled with bird and all types of flying youkai. He noticed some openings, but the winged creatures continued to move every single second.

_Dammit. Oh well, no time like the present..._

"Do you trust me?"

Eyes open, blue orbs shot up to gaze at him. "This isn't the time to play around," she stated. "We are surrounded, and we will **die** if we don't do anything!"

Chuckling, he continued to look down at her, and Kagome found herself unable to look away. _There's something different this time…_ She thought, and a shudder ran down her spine. _Something's going to happen…_

"Do you trust me, Kagome?" He asked again, and she saw his eyes soften once more. Around them, the youkai stood ready to attack at any given moment, if one of them should lunge forward.

Her eyes widened. It clicked.

He wasn't just asking for her trust; That would be pointless here.

He was asking for everything; Trust, reliance, comfort, care, _love_. He wanted her to accept him, _all_ of him.

Kagome gave off one of her real smiles; One meant just for him.

"_Yes."_

That was all the invitation Kuronue needed, and with a flick of his wings, all she saw were violet eyes and black wings.

_: Fly high, my pretty birdy. Fly high. :_

* * *

**Mashin:** And there's that chapter done! Whoo! -Leans back in chair- Really hard to type up stuff when you're writing a mini-story as well for your homework _and_ your friends.

I hope you all enjoyed that. It was a fun oneshot to type. Never would have thought it would be, but it was. And if you notice, you would ask why my writing style changed right in the middle of the oneshot. I blame in on the different stories I've been writing to entertain my friends.

Keep voting in the poll to help me with my next oneshot!

-Mashin


	16. Chapter 16 Part 1: L and Kagome

Consider this an author's apology and up-to-date on this part.

**Mashin:** Heys! I was going to go for a 10k word oneshot, but I never managed to finish it on time. And because it would be kinda weird to not upload anything on Christmas at all, I'm putting the first part in right now. And as you read this, I'll be working on the second half, hopefully getting it to the same length as this one.

Anyways, have fun reading the first part~!

-Mashin.

* * *

**Title:** "What is your name, Little one?" :Part 1:  
**Pairing:** Eventual L/Kagome. I say eventually, because the real proof will come in the second half.  
**Summary:** Once upon a Christmas, the two met. Now, they meet again on different conditions. How do you stop the spirit of Christmas Past from re-visiting those you care about the most?  
**Song:** No preferred one, but you can listen to _All the Same,_ by _Sick Puppies_.  
**Notes:** Err, it drifted. Alot. But that's okay. You may be able to tell where I tried getting it back on track, but you may not. I don't know some of the areas myself, since they were written on a whim with a very loose plot.

_

* * *

_

_I remember the first time I heard of him._

_My father had gone missing for a while; Two months if I followed the marker-filled calendar my mother had stood in front a lot. Souta didn't understand what was going on, since he was always in a cradle. Grandfather?_

_Grandfather was always sitting at the bench my father had added, before he had gone missing. The bench was behind the torii, making your view focus on the edge of the stairs and the rest of Tokyo beyond it. Every day, no matter the weather, Grandfather would always sit there for a long time, only getting up for important things or when people called him, like when mother took an extra few minutes to tell him it was time for dinner._

_Sometimes I would sit with him on that same bench, just laying my head against his arm. We would wait for a long while; waiting to see if father would come up on that last step, panting from the long walk and smiling his smile that would make mother swoon. We wanted to see the familiar black hair around his smiling face, and I wanted to jump into his arms again. Souta wanted to meet his dad._

_Sometime in December, we saw black hair, but no smiling face. The black hair underneath a blue hat covered the eyes, the owner wearing a grim expression. One glance at the uniform had uniform had Grandfather ushering me inside, and he told me not to go out until after the man had left. They had talked for a long time, and I could see the sun start to set behind the large towers beyond the torii I wished to climb, with the help of my father._

_After a while, Grandfather came back inside the house, and said something about the police continuing to look for him. They had said that they may have gotten a clue, and they were working with an extraordinary detective as well._

_Mother looked a little bit relieved that they were working on it. Souta looked the same, and he probably didn't get what was going on. But something about the man had thrown me off._

_Nonetheless, we had continued to wait. And wait._

--- ----

_I remember passing by a few police men in the store._

_Before them, I was looking through the candy section. Mother was getting some ingredients for some miso soup that night. Someone else looking around the sweets had caught my eye._

_The man was older than me; I could say that. He was staring at the assorted licorice, and by the way he was hunched over with hands in his pockets, I thought he didn't have enough money for the sweets he was staring at. Black, messy hair covered the top of his head, almost covering his eyes. Already, people nearby were giving him looks, and he seemed to be ignoring them. None of these things caught my eye, though (Albeit, the bags were evident and confusing.)_

_What surprised me was the NPA badge neatly tucked into his pocket, underneath his fingers. If it weren't for the fact that I could see a few letters on the metal, and the fact that his fingers weren't together in the pocket, I would have missed it._

_Grabbing one of the bags, I had ran to the cashier in a hurry and paid for them quickly. I can remember running back as fast as I got there, ignoring the confused stare by the man behind the counter. I had stopped behind him, and I think he noticed me then, but he never turned around._

_I remember giving him the bag after that, and I had asked if he were the detective investigating my father's case. I didn't get an answer, but I didn't really expect one then. I just waved and turned around, running back to my calling mother, and I can remember cheering at the sight of the leek sticking out of the bag._

_I had turned around after a few seconds, and the man was with a much older man, policemen moving to talk to the older one. Had he gotten in trouble?_

_The smile on the man and the licorice in his mouth didn't tell me so._

_--- ----_

_I remember seeing him in my house a few weeks after giving him the licorice in the store._

_December 25th was coming closer, and the growth in Christianity in my neighborhood meant that decorations were being put up. Even though I didn't understand the point of the holiday (When were holly and presents related to the birth of a prophet?), Souta and I rejoiced at the fact that we would get presents for something we barely knew._

_It was snowing a lot then, and I was constantly outside in a jacket with my Grandfather. We would continue to sit on the bench, holding mugs of hot cocoa in out hands. The heat would cloud up my vision of the distance, and for a second, I thought I saw the image of my father coming up. Surely, that was him, since it was black hair I recognized._

_My heart sank in my chest, but it didn't completely fall. It was the man from the store, and he had a sugar drop in his mouth this time (I later found out he had a sweet tooth). I think he noticed us, since he glanced in our direction, but grandfather only stood up when the older man and the policemen from before had come up the stairs as well. I took a few steps from Grandfather and walked towards the man with the sugar drop._

_I can't remember what I had said, or what had been said between us, but it was probably not much, since I had turned around and walked towards our open door a few minutes after. All I remember happening was getting a name and a piece of paper that had been torn out of a notebook._

Ryuzaki

_That was one of the only things I still manage to make out on the paper in my room, after winters of snow and dirt covering the rest of the paper. A mailing address was listed on there, but I never really used it until my 4th year without father._

_That winter was one of the worst._

_Father was gone, and he wasn't coming back._

_It didn't matter what mother said about being strong._

_I cried._

--- ----

"Ryuzaki-san!"

Turning around, L Lawliet (Known as Ryuzaki to the NPA) faced the camera in the upper-right corner of his vision. It took a wide-scale view of the open entrance to the building, where a young woman was currently standing in front of the door. She still had a finger pressing the button for the buzzer, and it took Ryuzaki a few seconds to remember to press the button besides him, letting the woman in.

Bursting in, 17-year old Kagome Higurashi bounced into the room, smiling as she loosened the scarf around her neck. "Geez, Ryuzaki-san! Are you still up? It's 6 in the morning!" Peering closer, the woman pinched his cheek. "And you haven't been sleeping, have you? The bags under your eyes are more visible than ever!"

"Since when have you been worried about my looks, Higurashi-san?" Ryuzaki's face never left the screens laid out in front of him, and he barely moved his chair as he fidgeted in his spot. Everyone else was gone and asleep, except for a certain To-Oh University student in one of the spare rooms.

Kagome looked up from her place besides Ryuzaki. "Oh, are you watching Light-san?" She asked. Her scarf was now falling on his shoulder, and the baggy-eyed man was pondering on whether to brush it off or continue watching his number one suspect. Silence enveloped the duo as they watched Light type words on the keyboard. "You have a tracker software installed on all the computers, right?"

"You know me, Higurashi-san. Of course there are tracking softwares." His eyes continued to move from screen to screen with every movement in the rooms. The NPA weren't ones to be trustful, and neither was he. With the exception of Yagami-san, and perhaps Matsuda, everyone else on the NPA was reckless, and most likely to get themselves killed.

This didn't mean he didn't respect them; on the contrary, the whole team leading the investigation had made tremendous work in the span of months they had spent. It was just that he couldn't see them as very reliable people.

"...Ryuzaki-san? Ryuzaki-san!"

Looking up, Ryuzaki stared at Kagome's worried-filled face. "Yes Higurashi-san?" Already, irritation and worry was seeping off the woman, along with something else he couldn't name. After a few more seconds at trying to name the emotion, Ryuzaki realized that she was staring up at the camera focused on Light's face staring at the computer screen. Something flickered in Kagome's eyes, and Ryuzaki wasn't sure if he liked it.

"Light…" Heart panging, Ryuzaki stared at the woman as her vice-like grip on her scarf tightened. Don't tell me she has had a 'crush' on him, like the other women! Ryuzaki gave a sharp glance towards video-Light. Along with the bags under his eyes, it looked as if he was glaring.

"He looks like Father…When he's working."

Ryuzaki's glare left.

_Right. We found Higurashi's body years ago._

_Christmas...We found his body on Christmas 10 years ago..._

The room was filled with an awkward silence. Getting up (As she couldn't stand silence), Kagome left the small bag she had come with on her chair. "Well, I better be off." She mumbled with an unusual smile. A small tug on her coat's sleeve stopped the girl in her tracks as she turned around to face Ryuzaki's stern face.

"Don't do anything drastic." Even though he was whispering, Kagome could hear the words as clear as day. A shiver went down her back as she looked into his eyes longer than she had liked.

Eyes shining with a fake light, the black-haired woman gently pried Ryuzaki's fingers off from the warm jacket. "Don't worry Ryuzaki-san, I'll be just fine."

Without waiting for a reply, Kagome was already out of the building. "Don't get into trouble!" She yelled over her back.

She didn't see Ryuzaki's clenched fists.

--- ---

December 22nd came by in a flash.

Snow falling, the covered figure of Watari marched his way through the centimeters of built-up snow, a result of many people staying inside, waiting for the snow to finish before shoveling. In his hands were plastic bags filled with foods galore, and the bulky figure of Kagome Higurashi wrapped up in a large coat and many layers of shirts followed his every step. Groans and the shuffling of bags were heard over the empty silence of the roads, since not many people were up at this ungodly hour.

"Ugh, someone needs to cut Ryuzaki-san's sweet tooth." Kagome mumbled as she placed the bags on the counters, unraveling the scarf around her neck as it fell to the floor in a heap of wool, the sound of damp clothing hitting tile as it did. Behind her, Watari started putting the grinded coffee beans away into a cupboard above his head, saying nothing as the two continued their job of putting the groceries away.

The sound of the buzzer echoed throughout the rooms as the remarkable figure of Ryuzaki entered the building, clad in nothing but the scarf Kagome had left for him a week ago. Looking at the clean wooly surface of the fabric, it was clear that it was only used once, and that was today.

Smiling, Kagome poured a cup of coffee, letting a rather large amount of sugar cubes drop in with a plop. With the same smile on her face that she had when he had entered, she held out the cup and a small bundle of assorted licorice.

Ryuzaki replied with one of his own fake smiles and gratefully accepted the drink and sweets.

--- ---

"Getting any closer to figuring out who's Kira?"

Looking up from the screen, Ryuzaki found her standing behind him, once again with a cup of coffee and a bag of licorice in her hands. Accepting them, Watari brought an extra chair into the space and left, leaving Kagome to sit down besides the working detective.

"Geez Ryuzaki-san, are you still focusing on Light-san? Even if he seems to be the prime suspect here, there's no reason to put that much surveillance over the boy. He might get suspicious."

"Higurashi-san, if it weren't for the fact that he'd be suspicious of anything now, I would have turned off 40% of the cameras in his room a long time ago."

Hearing no reply, Ryuzaki turned around to face a grim-looking Kagome. "Higurashi-san?"

Kagome sighed. "It's Kagome, not Higurashi-san. That sounds too much like my dad." She mumbled out from her scarf. Tugging on the cloth, Ryuzaki placed it behind her chair so he could see her clearly.

"Kagome-san then?"

"No, just Kagome. No suffixes."

Ryuzaki sighed. "You're very stubborn, do you know that?"

"Well, you're very secretive. I wonder what your real name is. It's very obvious that the names 'Hideki Ryuuga' and 'Ryuzaki' are all farces. Soo…" Leaning forward, Kagome caught Ryuzaki's eyes with her own. "When will you tell me your real name?" Her question came up in a soft whisper full of disappointment and sadness. "When will you trust me enough to tell me your name?"

Her head continued to come closer towards his, and Ryuzaki didn't bother moving his face back. "It's been 10 years, Ryuzaki. When will you trust me enough?"

Ryuzaki gulped, letting the bulge in his throat move as he continued to stare into the same eyes that had stared at him with the same intensity 10 years ago. "When we catch Kira." Was his quiet reply, as he placed a hand on the distraught girls'. "No more victims of Kira. Then I'll tell you."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Ryuzaki-san."

"It's Ryuzaki. No suffixes."

The former miko smiled brightly as she leaned in closer. Forehead to forehead, she poked his cheek. "Fine. Ryuzaki then."

"HEY! LOVEBIRDS!"

Backing up and turning on their chairs as fast as they could, Matsuda backed away a step as Ryuzaki darkly glared at the older man. Kagome, on the other hand, was blushing furiously and holding onto the back of Ryuzaki's chair, head slightly rolling as she slowly recovered from her fast spin.

"What the hell do you want, Matsuda?" Ryuzaki bit out as he continued to glare at the man. If the man didn't have any information at all, one could expect Matsuda to be sent flying any second now.

Nervously laughing, the older man rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, I just wanted you guys to stop kissing in the middle of the lobby."

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, MATSUDA!"

Sprinting for the stairs, Matsuda laughed as he dodged every piece of licorice Kagome was throwing at him with all her strength.

"Kagome, that was my licorice!" Inwardly sighing, Ryuzaki gingerly picked up the empty plastic bag, which used to hold the candy he was eating moments earlier.

"I'll get you more later, Ryuzaki. Right now," Kagome gripped the handrail with one hand as she stalked her prey up the stairs. "It's payback time."

--- ---

December 23rd seemed to brush by in slow motion, giving her time to prepare for the next two days.

Humming softly, Kagome let the bags of groceries fall from the crook of her elbow once again. With practiced ease, the almost-woman grabbed each can and swiftly placed them in their proper place, letting the cupboard doors close with a small slam. At one particularly large one, the former miko stiffened and paused in her step, hoping it didn't disturb the men a few rooms away at the camera screens.

"Hey, Kagome-chan's here!"

Woman mentioned ignored the urge to groan. There went her plans to go around in the kitchen unnoticed. Sighing, Kagome picked up a tray and placed various mugs on it, along with sugar cubes and milk. Humming, she opened the door with one hand and swiftly grabbed the pot of coffee in her other.

"Coffee's here~!" She shouted as she let her presence be known. In a few seconds, the NPA were taking the tray and coffee as Kagome headed back inside, coming out minutes later with a few snacks. Choruses of 'Thanks' and 'Sweet! Coffee!' filled the air as hands reached for their own cups. Within minutes, the tray was clear of cups, and snacks were mostly eaten.

Smiling, Kagome watched as Ryuzaki looked around the tray, then at her, silently asking where his cup was. With a giggle, the woman pulled out another mug already filled with coffee and a bag of assorted licorice. "To pay back what I threw at Matsuda yesterday." She informed him, sending a glare towards Matsuda. Nearly choking on his rice ball, Matsuda quickly turned his head and hastily gulped the rest of the snack down.

"Aw, isn't that cute. Kagome-chan's doing her best to help us too." Soichiro's booming laughter filled the vast space, followed by the rest of the NPA's and Kagome's outcry.

"Okay, I think we've gotten enough of a break. Let's get back on track." Ryuzaki resisted the urge to rub his temples as everyone slowly started to calm down and get their minds back on track.

Taking it as her cue to leave, Kagome started cleaning up the trays that once held mugs and food, balancing the trays and the nearly-empty pot of coffee on her left hand. "I'll bring more coffee soon."

"Sure. Thanks Kagome-chan!"

Walking towards the kitchen door, Kagome nearly shrieked as she felt Soichiro's hand rest on her shoulder. "Eek!"

"Woah! Sorry, Kagome-chan!" Releasing his hand for a second, he made sure that the trays and all the stuff were balanced as he placed his hand back on its previous spot. "Thanks for the break and food."

Kagome looked up at the older man. "But, you guys just already-" Groaning, she rubbed her temples. "Okay, never mind. What did you really want to tell me?"

"That you're doing us all a favor by helping Ryuzaki-san relax."

"Huh?" Stepping inside the kitchen, Kagome placed the trays and pot down, so she could finally let her left hand drop. "I'm sorry, I don't get you. He seems the same as he was before."

Soichiro chuckled. "No, he's more relax. See?" Opening the door a crack, Soichiro and Kagome placed their eyes along the small opening as they watched the rest of the group. "Before you came, his hands were clenching the fabric ontop of his legs. Now," Pointing as the kneeling man, Soichiro let out another string of chuckles. "His hands are just resting there, and his back has slouched even more."

Kagome looked up and blinked. "But he could just be tired. That doesn't mean I did anything."

"It's 10 in the morning, Kagome-chan. Who would be tired right now? You saw us already this morning. He wasn't that tense then, was he?"

Watching the young woman splutter, Soichiro chuckled as he stepped out. "Ah, youth. But just remember. We're doing the best we can, and you are too."

"But-" Kagome's outstretched hand caught air as she heard snippets of the conversation, followed by Soichiro's booming laugh. I can do better…

_I will do better…_

--- ---

_December 25th._

_Christmas was a nightmare. _

_I can still remember the sounds of the sirens as they took Mother away. She had fainted when the police had told us the news._

_The same sounds were muffled now, and all I could hear clearly was the sound of my breathing._

_Why couldn't I see anyone I could recognize? All I saw were faces. So many faces saying things I couldn't hear._

_Where's Light-san and Ryuzaki? Why can I barely keep my eyes open? Where am I?_

_As I close my eyes-for the weight on them is too much, I hear someone say something about a bullet. The first word I can hear, and I don't like it. I'm the only one lying down, as far as I can see? Am I the one shot? _

_My eyes opened at the revelation._

_Am I dying?_

_Black hair -My black hair- coveres my vision as I turn my head, and the reflection staring back at me from the cold metal of the machines looks so weary and tired. Will it hurt to just sleep for a while?_

_Someone's patting my head. I don't know what they're saying, but they looked more concerened as my eyes close._

_Sorry Mister....Watari. I'm so tired..._

_So very, very tired...._

--- ---

**Mashin:** Well, there goes the first bit. Don't worry, bits of the second part is already written. I just need to write...about over 2000 more words by tomorrow or so. -Sigh- I'm so pulling another all-nighter.

Anyways, I've cut down the work time on the mini-story, since it's not supposed to take that much of my time anyways. I'll see about this and updating FATAD later.

Sorry for the rather late Christmas gift!

-Mashin.


	17. Chapter 16 Part 2:L and Kagome

**Mashin:** Part 2 is now up! Enjoy~! (Sorry, I didn't manage to finish it on Boxing Day. xO)

--- ---

Sirens and noises filled the nighttime as ambulances and vehicles blocked the entrances, leaving Soichiro and the rest of the NPA working on the Kira case outside.

Soft piles of snow were pushed away as a black car sped by, turning around and stopping besides an ambulance seconds later. With a '_slam_' of the car door, Watari stepped out in his black trench coat, followed by a glaring Ryuzaki. Rushing forward, Ryuzaki slammed him against the side of the ambulance, ignoring the man's gasping for breath as he slammed him against the ambulance again.

"What the hell is your problem, Yagami?" Ignoring Soichiro's cries of 'That's my son!', Ryuzaki continued to slam Light into the side of the vehicle. "What in the world made you take your father's gun and _shoot Kagome?!_"

The sound of the sirens and the harsh pull towards Watari left Ryuzaki with no answer as the butler started dragging him towards the car, whispering words until Ryuzaki got himself up and walked alone. Ignoring the stares and looks from the NPA and workers, Watari shut the door and hit the gas, letting the car speed off, as if the snow were not a problem.

Soichiro watched the black car go off into the distance, reaching down and helping his son up from the snow seconds later. "Why did you shoot her, Light? Kagome-chan didn't do anything to you." He mumbled softly, so the other officers wouldn't hear.

Light remained silent as he swayed, one hand to his temple and the other limp at his side. "It's like…something just came over me, and then…" Shivering, Light pulled his thin jacket over him, as the snow flew down in a rush. "I don't know. I just wasn't myself."

_-- --_

"_Where's your shinigami?"_

_I looked up. What was Higurashi-san doing here? I thought she was in the kitchen. "Pardon me, but I have no idea what you're talking about, Higurashi-san."_

_Higurashi-san's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. I can see the blood on your hands. Blood of the convicted criminals. Where is your shinigami?" Arms crossed, she practically screamed 'Dangerous' all around. _

_I shivered. For the first time, I felt truly afraid of someone. She felt as if she had the power to kill me painfully, and she could back it up._

_But, she said Shinigami…_

_Argh!_

_Flashes! All across my vision! My head hurts! Make it stop! I heard screaming and cries of pain. Higurashi-san was silent, watching me with something in her eyes. Was I the one screaming?_

_Oh, God! It hurts! Make it stop! I don't want to see anymore! No! Why are you showing me this?_

_Wait…I remember this. This was when we were going to Spaceland. A busjacker got on the bus, pulled a gun. I was talking to someone….I can't remember. We came out safely, because the busjacker ran off the bus and died…_

_But why did he run off the bus? He said something about a-a monster or something. Nobody could see it, nobody…_

…_Except me._

_What was it? It had wings, and sharp teeth. And eyes…eyes that could see through your soul…_

_Like Higurashi-San's…_

_Was that thing a Shinigami? If so, is Higurashi-san a shinigami?_

_It doesn't matter. She's a threat! A threat! She's going to kill me!_

_Wait! There's someone at the doorway! Dad! _

_Help me, Dad! She's going to kill me!_

_Why can't I talk? What's going on?_

_Never mind!_

_I'll do things myself!_

-- --

"Do you remember anything after that?" Gently shaking his son's shoulders, Soichiro looked at him with a soft look in his eyes. No matter if his son was Kira…

Shaking his head, Light watched along with his father as the ambulances started to drive off in the snow, followed by the sound of screeching tires. Looking up, the To-Oh student closed his eyes as the snow fell down once again. "Dad, what do you think will happen after this?"

Soichiro offered no answer as the NPA –along with Light- slowly started trekking back inside the building.

--- ---

_Where am I?_

_I see nothing…It's total darkness. Looking down, I can see my feet trod against the blackness as I wander off into nowhere. _

_How long have I been walking? My feet ache…My legs cry for rest. My chest hurts. Especially my left side…_

_Ow. It's throbbing. It hurts! It's like something amplified the pain!_

_It hurts! Someone help me! Please!_

_Someone!_

_--- ---_

"Body Temperature's going up! Someone pin her down, she's starting to thrash!"

"Get the mask ready; She might break through the straps!"

Racing through the halls, the half-open eyes of Kagome Higurashi continued to stare at one place as the stretcher sped towards the operation room, packed and surrounded by white-clothed doctors as they shouted orders through the hallways.

"Put the mask on!"

_Wait! No!_ Voiceless, Kagome's vision was clouded as her body started to shake, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she closed her eyelids.

"She's lost too much blood! Operation starts now! Get your gloves on, Hayasaka! Get the blood sample ready!"

Unconscious, the body of Kagome Higurashi went through the most painful 4-hour operation it had ever gone through in its entire life.

Help…

--- ---

December 26th came by as a relief and a haven.

Crouching in the stiff chair to the side of the hospital bed, Ryuzaki's eyes continued to stare at the prone body of Kagome Higurashi, even after the doctors had come in and stabilized her condition-again.

Flipping through the records and data provided, Light frowned as he read the latest report given. "Higurashi-san had to get a blood transfusion, apparently. Lost a lot of blood. You wouldn't happen to know who donated the blood, would you?" Gently placing the chart on the bedside table, Light folded his arms across his chest and waited for an answer.

"I thought you wouldn't be one to worry about it, since you're the one who caused the blood loss." Ryuzaki calmly replied as he reached for another piece of licorice. Arm rising, his sleeve fell to the point where you could see a small white bandage on his arm, which would have been well hidden if the sleeve had stayed at its original place. "Why are you so curious? You do not want your cousin to survive?"

"Of course I do!" Turning his head, Light's glare softened as he watched his cousin whimper again, her own pale hands gripping the sheets. "I'm just wondering why you, of all people, would donate blood at the 'darkest hour', so to speak."

The room was encased in silence as the two men stared at each other, occasionally taking a glance at Kagome, lying on the bed as she whimpered.

"So, why did you perform a blood transfusion with Higurashi-san?" Light asked again.

Ryuzaki frowned. "None of your concern."

"She's my cousin; I think that's enough of a reason to be concerned."

"Cousins don't shoot one another."

Slamming his fist on the table, Light glared at Ryuzaki. "I already explained it! I didn't exactly do it, it was like something took over me!"

"Try explaining that to the courts." Chewing on another piece of assorted licorice, Ryuzaki glared back.

Furious, Light turned on the ball of his foot and headed for the door. "I get it! I was your prime suspect for being Kira, and all you needed was proof! And here we go! Your proof! You just want to get this over with and end it already, no matter if you're persecuting an innocent person!" Pushing the sliding door open with more force than needed, Light turned his head and glared at Ryuzaki. "Go ahead and arrest me, then! Say I'm Kira! Being the world's greatest detective, nobody's going to argue!"

"I never said anything about arresting you."

Glare disappearing, Light turned around and stepped forward, shutting the door behind him. "What do you mean? You were the one talking about the Court of Law."

Ignoring the urge to roll his eyes, Ryuzaki glanced at the seat on the other side of Kagome's bed. Taking it as an invitation, Light walked forward and slumped onto the chair, no longer caring about his posture and guard. "Kira is known to control many before their death. Who is to say you were not another victim? Even now, Kira may be planning more actions and tasks for you to perform before your time is up. If brought to court, you may be asked to step up as a witness." Ryuzaki explained.

Speechless for the first time in a while, Light rested a hand on his temple, fingers spread as his ring finger lightly touched his forehead. "Does that mean you think I'm innocent? I doubt that. Matsuda-kun coming up and saying he's gay would be less surprising."

"A question like that just raises my suspicion even more. Albeit, the idea of Matsuda-kun being homosexual is not a lost idea." Ryuzaki chuckled, popping another piece of licorice in his mouth.

"I resent that!" Matsuda's voice shouted from behind the curtain at Ryuzaki's back, before the fabric moved aside to show Matsuda's enraged face. "I am as straight as a ruler, thank you very much!" He spat out, splitting his gaze between the two men in the room.

Looking up, Light pretended to look somewhat surprised. "Why, Matsuda-kun. When did you come here?"

Soichiro laughed as Matsuda let out another cry.

--- ---

_I hear laughter. It sounds wonderful._

_As the sound leaves me hearing range, my chest falls. It is so quiet and desolate here. It's all black. _

_I need something to lean on. Something to remind myself of who I am. Who I was, before I was cast here._

_Frowning, my eyes look down at the pink bauble resting on my collarbone. _

_All I have to think of now is this jewel. The Shikon jewel._

_And right now, I want to think of anything but. _

_Please, someone come. I don't want to think of the past anymore._

_I want to think of the future…_

_There's a chuckle. A deep-sounding chuckle. It echoes, though it is not loud, unlike the laugh._

_Something inside me is saved as my eyes divert their attention from the jewel. They look to my right. _

_All that stands out from the black is messy hair and baggy eyes._

_And the smell of licorice._

_Can't forget the smell of licorice._

--- ---

December 29th arrived with a flurry of snow.

Eyes slowly opening once more, Kagome Higurashi continued to blink as she stayed in her comfy seat, watching Ryuzaki's fingers tap the keyboard with speed she could barely imagine. Snuggling even further into her blanket, her hand retracted from the holes in the cocoon of fabric to the small plastic bag resting on her knees. With a content sigh, the girl opened her mouth and popped a piece of assorted licorice in.

Ryuzaki's fingers paused as he turned his head to stare at the blinking girl besides him. "Are you sure you should really be up?" He asked. Shrugging, Kagome pried his mouth open and popped another piece into Ryuzaki's mouth, before closing it for him. "I'm fine, really. Doesn't hurt unless I hit it." She replied as she watched him chew the bits, then swallow the mess.

"You were shot in the shoulder, dangerously close to your lung. It's a miracle that the bullet never hit any major veins or nerves." Ryuzaki commented. Already, his head was turned back towards the computer and his fingers were back to typing.

"Yeah, but I'm fine now! Nothing wrong with me." Kagome raised her fist from the blanket and pretended to flex it. Ryuzaki, however, never once glanced at her childish show and merely continued typing.

Smile disappearing, Kagome reached forward and placed a hand on Ryuzaki's shoulder, effectively causing him to turn his head towards her trusting eyes. "Ryuzaki, I'm alright now. Stop worrying so much."

Pausing, Ryuzaki smiled once more and placed a hand on top of hers, gently sliding it off his shoulder as he went back to typing his email back to the Wammy House. "I can't help it, you know." He muttered, hitting 'enter' once more. "You're the kind to attract trouble and pain."

"And that's why my blood type was compatible with yours."

Ryuzaki smiled.

At least the blood transfusion didn't change her at all. *

--- ---

December 31st.

"NEW YEAR'S EVE!" Matsuda cheered as he looked below him at all the lights and people running around outside.

Yes, American Holidays were influencing Japanese Culture once again.

Laughing, Kagome watched as Matsuda got a face-full of confetti, kudos to Soichiro, who was taking the time to relax and have fun for the night. Already tense beyond relief due to the whole chase-after-Kira and Kagome being shot, the team whole-heartedly accepted this chance to be free for a night, as fireworks went off in the distance, no doubt by an overly-excited teenager.

"Hey! Kagome-chan! Look up for a second!"

Head snapping up, she was about to ask Matsuda what was going on…

...Before some horrid, ugly, slimy mask was shoved in her face.

"EW! Matsuda-san, that's just gross!"

Chuckling, Light watched as the young woman raced around the flat rooftop, away from the Halloween mask Matsuda held between two hands. Turning around, he studied Ryuzaki's face for a moment. "How come you're not over there with her?" He asked the pale man.

Shrugging, Ryuzaki continued eating his licorice. "I have no need to participate in the games."

"Yeah, but it'll make her happier if you do." Light pointed out. Unable to come up with a retort back that would send the To-Oh student off edge, Ryuzaki settled for sitting on the chair, facing the direction of the fireworks.

_Drop._

"Hey! Ryuzaki! It's snowing!"

Looking up, Ryuzaki smiled. "Well, it is."

Already, some of the men were grumbling at how they wouldn't be able to light their fireworks. Said fireworks were in a box being carried by Kagome.

"Err, Kagome-chan?" Matsuda pointed towards the snow. "I don't think the snow will let you light those."

"Just watch." Giggling, Kagome let the match light under the cover of her hovering palm, letting it touch the string. Diverting the men's attention towards the fuse growing shorter and shorter, the only female tapped the side of the firework's barely discreetly, and the snow never touched the firework.

With a giant bang and a whine, the firework flew off into the sky, erupting in exploding colors of red and gold. Cheering, the group brought out the rest of the fireworks, letting Kagome light them. Already, Soichiro was trying to light them, but to no avail. With a sigh, he dropped the firework into the bundle of those that hadn't worked and went on with the celebrations.

Ignoring the offers for more ginger ale, Kagome sneaked off towards Ryuzaki once all the fireworks were ignited and into the air. "So…" Trailing off, she swirled the rather generous amount of ginger ale in her cup around. "Mind telling me why you're not participating?"

"No need to."

Kagome scowled. "C'mon, it's New Years. Lighten up."

"They'll do the same thing again on Chinese New Years, so I'll take part then."

"Liar." Standing up, Kagome placed the cup on a nearby table, leaving it for later as she sat in the chair besides Ryuzaki, ignoring Light's confused stares and Matsuda's snickers in the distance. "You'll never take part. Now stop being a worry pants and get up! You already missed the fireworks, so you're going to get me some booze!"

Chuckling, Ryuzaki allowed her to drag him up until his started walking on his own, back hunched and knees bent. "So I'm your puppet now?"

"You're going to be a man on a firework if you don't get me that beer!"

--- ---

"Ugh, my head."

January 1st.

"Someone get me the water! I need water!"

The time for hangovers. And the time for whining.

Sighing, Ryuzaki turned the chair around so he could face the large group of crying men. "This is what you get for drinking too much last night." He announced, although Watari was already getting water and more painkillers. "We should just let them suffer in peace." The last part was muttered towards the girl on her left.

Kagome groaned as she curled herself tighter into the blanket. "Yeah…But I'm having a headache on my own, so come back and talk to me in about 3 hours, will ya?" Groaning once more, she gratefully accepted the painkillers and water from Watari. "Seriously, that's the last time I ask you to get beer for me. Now I know why there's an age limit."

"Well, now you won't bug me about it in the future."

"Hell no!" Head snapping up, Kagome grinned. "I'm so going to bug you about it when I'm of age-Oh crap!" Coughing, the girl quickly swallowed another cup of water. "Ugh!"

"Are you sure you want to try alcohol again? Your mother would kill me if she found out I let you try beer last night." This time, it was Light who spoke up. Like Ryuzaki, he was smart enough to take small amounts.

Glaring, Kagome coughed again as Ryuzaki handed her a licorice piece. "And your mother would be horrified if I 'accidentally' told her about the stash of porn behind the textbooks on your shelf." Muttering a 'thanks' to Ryuzaki, she popped the candy into her mouth and sighed as it traveled down her throat rather easily.

Fumbling for words, Light decided to just race up the stairs towards his temporary room. "I'll get you later, dammit!"

Ryuzaki and Kagome watched as the man disappear from their view, before turning to face each other. "Is there really porn in his room?"

"No. It's just a bunch of stuff I put in there a few days ago that he doesn't want anyone else to see."

"And those would be…?"

"Baby photos and feminine products. He can't really get rid of them without people being suspicious."

Chuckling, Ryuzaki popped another piece of the licorice into his bag, before he handed it to Kagome. "You are cruel."

"No, just in desperate need of an outlet for revenge."

--- ---

Blanket around her shoulders like a shawl, Kagome ignored the urge to spit the hair out of her mouth as the winds blew around her. Coming to the roof at night probably wasn't a good idea since she only had shorts and a T-shirt on underneath. Nonetheless, the woman made no move to turn back and head inside.

Besides her, Ryuzaki had his hands in his pockets, knees bent to the point where he was only slightly taller than Kagome.

"You know…you never did tell me your real name."

Ryuzaki turned his head towards Kagome. "Yes, but we have not caught Kira yet."

"But we were close. We almost had evidence."

"The evidence wouldn't have mattered if you ended up dying."

Looking up, Kagome placed a cold hand on his shoulder, which he clenched tightly with his own. "You mean that?"

"Well, I don't really say things like that."

"Does this mean you'll tell me your name?" Looking up, Kagome practically had 'Hope' written over her forehead.

With a sigh, and a small 'I don't even know why I'm doing this', Ryuzaki leaned down and cupped his hands around her ear. Heart beating, Kagome barely gasped as he whispered faintly, his lips barely touching the skin of her ear.

Pulling back, Ryuzaki looked at Kagome's blushing face. "Kagome…?"

"I don't know if that's your real name or not…" Trailing off, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him closer. "But did you really mean that last part?"

Ryuzaki nodded, fully aware of the short gap separating them. "Yes. I wouldn't joke about something like that."

Kagome sighed in relief. "Good."

And she closed the gap.

--- ---

January 2nd, 2008.

The aftermath of the giant New Years hangover.

Looking up from the papers scattered all over the papers, Matsuda reached up and accepted another cup of coffee from a grinning Kagome. "Hey, Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you aren't making out with Ryuzaki-san right now? Don't tell me it's about my 'No making out in the lobby' comment!" Even now, Matsuda was trying to keep his expression innocent-looking, despite Ryuzaki's threats on shoving a _particular_ male organ down his throat, chopped up and all.

"WHAT?!"

Turning his head, Mogi's booming and over-exaggerated laugh filled the room. "Oh, that is so cute, Kagome-chan!"

Blush growing, Kagome picked up the closest pillow used for a makeshift bed and hurled it at Mogi's head. "Not funny!" She shrieked.

Nonetheless, the rest of the NPA continued to laugh at Kagome's poor misfortune.

--- ---

"Kagome-chan?"

"Matsuda, if it's about me and Ryuzaki, then you can go shove your comment up your-"

Matsuda let out a string of nervous laughs. "Oh, it's not that. I'm just wondering."

Looking up, Kagome put the cup down on the tray. "Well, then go ahead."

"How come you keep denying your relationship with Ryuzaki-san? I mean, it's really obvious you two know you like each other and…" Matsuda trailed off. "Well…I was just wondering."

Smiling, Kagome grabbed another small bag from the cupboard and placed it besides the cup of coffee. "Well, that's because we aren't together."

"What? But…But we saw you kiss and everything!"

One of Kagome's eyebrows arched up. "I won't ask how you saw us kiss, and why you make it sound like we did more." She commented, letting Matsuda open the door as she stepped out of the kitchen. "And we're not together because it would look weird for a 26-year old to be with a 17-year old, wouldn't it?"

"So…You're not with him because he's 9 years older than you? I wouldn't have thought you guys would stay apart because of social appearances."

"It's not just that." Sighing, Kagome turned her head as she turned the corner, placing the coffee pot besides the NPA's empty cups. "You have to understand that Ryuzaki doesn't know much about women in general. And we've decided to wait until I've finished with schooling and this whole case. Getting together now would only make things more complicated."

Matsuda nodded. "So you two are holding back until…"

"Around the end of next year or so."

Eyebrows raising, Matsuda ruffled Kagome's hair. "Well, in case you ever need help with him or anything, you're free to ask for any one of us. You're like our little sister or something."

Smiling, Kagome headed towards Ryuzaki's seat. "I'll remember that. Thanks, Matsuda."

Matsuda grinned as he stood beside Soichiro. "She's not a little kid anymore to you, is she?"

"She hasn't been for a while." Soichiro replied as he watched her hand Ryuzaki his cup of coffee and his bag of licorice. "She's grown up from the little girl I saw 10 years ago."

"Just asking, Sir." Matsuda looked up towards the older man. "How did the two meet?"

"Let's just say it started with licorice."

--- ---

_Owari._

--- ---

**Mashin:** HOLY CRAP, I BARELY FINISHED IT. –Sighs in relief- As I type this, I'm listening to 'I need a Hero', which seems to fit the future chapter in FATAD right now.

Anyways, thanks for sticking in for…A week, as I've worked my butt off to type this. Leave a review, your opinion, a few words, anything! I love hearing from you guys!

-Mashin.

* Blood tranfusions usually go off without a hitch, but it has been known for the recipient's blood type to change if the amount of blood being transferred is of a different blood type (This can be because there's no other option, the blood type is unknown, or of some other reason).  
In Japanese culture, a person's ABO blood type is predictive of their personality, temperament, and compatibility with others. I'm assuming that Kagome is a Type B and L is a Type AB here, according to their basic personality. By blood tranfusions, some of the donator's personality traits can be transferred into the recipient, causing small changes in their attitude, etc, etc.

So, when L says that he's glad that the blood transfusion didn't change her, he's talking about the difference between their blood types, and how it could have affected her. If L's blood had been too dominant or anything like that, her personality and attitude could have drastically changed to the point where it would affect her view on Life and people around her.


End file.
